A Call of Tomorrow
by Blue302
Summary: Amidst the Centra Ruins, a string of deaths leads to an ancient prophesy speaking of old gods and angels walking the earth. Only the bond of a sorceress and her knight can stop the growing darkness from destroying their world. Will love be enough or will the temptation of ultimate power destroy friendships and relationships forever?
1. Discovery

Author's Notes: I wanted to try my hand at this little story that had been floating around in my head. I hope all of you will be gentle in your critiques but at the same time, I hope you all enjoy whatever comes! I realize that none of our favorite characters appear in Chapter 1 but I hope you'll bear with me to Chapter 2 where you'll see some familiar faces popping up!

Disclaimer: Square owns all characters from Final Fantasy VIII and I merely use them for my amusement.

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter One: Discovery

 _Bright eyes shine in the dark, the land is awash in light._

 _Silent words rest on cold dead lips and the fallen angel will take flight._

 _The Lion's fire will die, extinguished by the hand of his Queen,_

 _This world will suffer a darkness and no more light will be seen._

 _But there is still hope, one candle of light still alive._

 _Cradled in the warmth of her knight, in the darkness her strength with thrive._

 _Here she stands, this blue angel, the one last hope of our race._

 _Shield her well, protect her heart, for the darkness all around with give chase._

 _Upon the verdant fields, with cloudless sky, these two sisters will meet,_

 _One of hope, one of loss, both will fight knowing the price of defeat._

 _The Old Gods will rise with the taste of blood, providing their victor a crimson crown._

 _If laid upon her brow, our hope will be lost, and in the innocents blood we will drown._

 _Hyne's true heir will reveal herself, rising from the ashes as the golden bird of fire._

 _With the gift of the earth blazing from her fingers, she will cast her ire._

 _Old Gods, masked as friends, will walk behind, ready to strike her down,_

 _But if our Queen will call down the heavens, she will be ready to accept her crown._

The ancient burial grounds of the Centra civilization had only recently been discovered on the desecrated continent that had never fully recovered from the catastrophe that had destroyed its powerful and mysterious people. Deep within the catacombs, hidden behind several false walls, a small chamber had been uncovered and was filled with enough treasures to keep the team of four archeologists in business for the rest of their lives. Between the beautiful paintings, sculptures and breathtaking jewelry, thick manuscripts had been discovered. What they held within their fragile and dusty covers was still being translated by round the clock experts.

Dr. Strife Errol had barely left the confines of the small room which he had determined was a sacred shrine to gods far more ancient than Hyne. The exotic faces were all of women of extraordinary beauty that held an aura of power within their eyes. He hypothesized that these were the goddesses of their time, respected and revered for their power and gentle grace.

Errol was the leader of the expedition, a leading expert in Centran artifacts from the University of Deling. He had dedicated his life to the study of Centra and his belief that the old gods were a powerful figure within Ancient Centran mythology and the women were the mothers of the civilization. This find was helping to prove him right. Every artifact they had found spoke of a feminine touch, appealed to the female eye. The colors were soft, the lines were gently curved and all images featured a woman.

That night, like so many others, he spent it alone in on site. He was actively disobeying his own protocols by staying late into the night. No person was ever meant to stay on site alone. It was a matter of security and a matter of confirming finds. But Errol couldn't help himself. He was so close that he couldn't pull himself away, nor did he really want to share his findings with anyone else.

He sat alone in the small chamber, a few candles lit to provide light but not take away from the mood. The walls were polished rock, glimmering a cold blue in the candlelight. A few tapestries were hung on those walls, softening the feel. In the very back of the room, an altar had been erected with a solitary statue placed in a position of honor. It was a golden woman dressed in seductive robes, beautiful wings extending out behind her.

Staring at the statue, he clicked on his recorder.

"Statue exhibits elements of the virgin symbolism with the long hair cascading down her shoulders in direct juxtaposition of the robes hugging her form and exposing her breast in a seductive manner. Her wings I can only assume would represent her ascension in to heaven due to her purity and overall goodness. She is no mere virgin or mother. She is both and an angel above all else…"

Errol breathed out a sigh, clicking the recorder off again. The statue was the only thing in the room that had wings. None of the portraits had nary a feather to help propel his hypothesis forward. As he stood up again, he squinted around the room. There was something that had been bothering him for the past few days about the layout and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. There was a purposeful symmetry that didn't seem to complete itself.

While the altar was placed in the back of the room, it was far enough off the wall that it felt like the room should continue on and the altar instead be in the dead center, instead of about two-thirds back.

Walking silently to the back wall, Errol gave a cursory push with no response. He shook his head. Perhaps he really should get out of here. He had barely eaten or slept since the discovery had been made.

A whisper on the wind made him jump. _The lifeblood of one pure will open the doors to my power…_

Errol shook his head, uncertain of the words that had slunk through the room. Even as he stepped back and wiped his forehead with an old rag, the words took root in his mind. No matter how hard he tried, they seemed trapped, rolling around again and again, squeezing his heart in a painful grip.

"Lifeblood of one pure…" Errol muttered and the pain seemed to ease. "Who the hell would count as pure? Not like we have any vestal virgins available on site." His own bad joke left a sour taste in his mouth.

"Doctor Errol?" the gentle voice of his colleague, Eva Brown, whispered from behind him.

Errol jumped and spun around, grabbing at his heart to stop it from beating right out of his chest. "Eva, what are you doing here?" he asked harshly.

"Chris and I wanted to check something in the main room and I thought I saw a flicker coming from this chamber," Eva stuttered as she tried to rush an explanation. Her large brown eyes were widened with surprise at finding her boss alone in the room and with such a crazed look on his face. She had heard rumors that Errol was starting to crack under the pressure but she had never believed a word until this moment.

Errol stared hard at her wide, adoring eyes. He knew that she had watched him since she joined his team, an eager young doctor looking for a way to the top. In the depths of the night he had wondered just how far she had wanted to go to get to the top but he considered himself far too much of a professional to ever take his thoughts beyond that.

But now as he watched her lower lip tremble slightly, an unspeakable urge rose up. He wanted to taste that lip, bite it until she cried out. He wanted to know if her nut brown hair was really as soft as it looked. Were those curls real or manufactured with hairspray and time. He wanted to tug at them. Pull. Pull harder and harder until they just ripped out of her scalp.

Errol swallowed hard, flexing his hands slowly. "Eva… good, you've come," he muttered, struggling to keep his voice steady. "I needed your help in measuring some of the readings in this room. I believe that residual power of the Old Gods still resides here. If we could find a way to tap into it, we could learn more."

"Of course… just let me find Doctor Stevens and we can both help you," Eva replied, backing toward the narrow hallway that would lead to the main room.

"NO." Errol's voice came out stronger than he had intended, rolling off the walls, shaking the very foundation that they stood upon. He bounded forward with one strong surge, a hand clamping down on the young woman's wrist, dragging her forward.

In his head, he screamed at himself to stop, but something else had taken over Errol's thoughts. His dreams, his ambitions, they all stood within this room and nothing would stop him.

"Doctor Errol, stop, please!" Eva cried out, tugging at her wrist.

His grip only tightened, painting bright red marks across her pale skin that would darken in to bruises in just a few hours time.

With a quick jerk of his arm, summoning strength he had never known lay within him, Errol threw Eva against the supposed back wall, her head connecting with the hard stone, knocking her unconscious.

 _Take your prize_ , the voice inside his head cackled with delight. In most cases, Errol was a rational man and would normally never take advice from voices in his head, let alone cackling voices, but desire bloomed in his head. He was a man still strong and virile, powerful. No one could deny him what he wanted.

He strode across the room, body quivering at the prospect of enjoying a woman in what seemed like thousands of years. The last time, he remembered, was atop a tower, taking his offering. Feeling the rich fabric of her robes being torn from her body, hearing her cry with desire…

Errol stopped in place for a moment, struggling with the memories that were flooding through his mind. Some were foreign. Events that had never taken place. Faces, unfamiliar. Places long gone. He couldn't understand what exactly was going on. Perhaps he was going mad. Looking around the room, he saw the unmoving form of Eva Brown and panicked. Had he brought her here? Had he hurt her in some way?

The revolting desire to possess her was creeping back but he was positive that that wasn't truly him or his wants.

 _The lifeblood of one pure will open the doors to my power…_

The power. Errol wanted the power. For once, he wanted to be the strong one, the one women looked to and men feared. His own youthful days had been spent in libraries and hiding away behind books. He had been laughed at, teased, mocked for his intelligence, never celebrated the way others had…

"Doctor Errol, what's going on in here?" Christopher Stevens was the second on the expedition. He was relatively young for such a position of power which spoke of his intelligence and mark on the archeological community during his still growing career. To make matters worse, he was strong, ruggedly handsome and everything that Errol had always desired to be. Watching the way his golden hair casually flopped in front of his light blue eyes made his blood boil. Why did he get to be a god among men while Errol had suffered teasing and ridicule for following his passions. Why did that inferior man get sculpted abs and the love of beautiful women while Errol struggled with a sagging belly and alimony payments from a wife who had left him years ago.

"Strife… what's going on? Where's Eva?" Chris tried again, moving further into the room.

He'd been deeply concerned about his colleague since they had uncovered this room. Dark things had been running through his head of late and it concerned him. Now, finding him here, alone, made Chris know that he had no choice. He had to report Errol to the board of directors overseeing this important archeological find. They'd remove him from the team and likely put Chris in charge. Though he'd always wanted to run a dig site (and what a site to run!), he hadn't wanted it to happen this way, to a man he had long looked up to and admired.

"Strife… where's Eva?" he asked again.

Eva had been a bright spot during the dig. Young, beautiful and his intellectual equal. Both had fallen in love so easily and they'd spent their free time dreaming of their bright futures, both as archeologists and building lives around each other.

Errol smiled and Chris' blood ran cold. It was the smile of someone who had completely tipped over the edge and rejoiced in it.

"Eva! EVA!" Chris shouted, looking wildly around the room. Everything was dark, hidden in shadow but against the back wall he saw a crumbled form. He whipped his gaze back to his former mentor, eyes furious.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" he screamed with barely contained fury.

"Her lifeblood will give us our ultimate discovery, Chris," Errol replied with glee. "One little sacrifice and we will be known as legends forever."

"Screw you and your demented thoughts. You're not sacrificing her to the voices in your head, old man," Chris retorted, stalking over to the unconscious form of his girlfriend, breathing in a sigh of relief as he saw the rhythmic rising and falling of her chest.

Chris gently brushed her soft curls back from her face, seeing a small trickle of blood right at her hairline.

"You want blood, you crazy old coot," Chris shouted. "Here's your fucking blood."

He swiped his finger across the cut, holding it out for Errol to see. With disgust, he wiped his finger against the wall to get it off his skin, gathering Eva in his arms. She stirred ever so slightly, smiling up at him, even without opening her eyes. She knew he was there, just by his touch.

Behind them, the heat of Eva's blood spread out from its first contact point, shifting old spells woven into the wall, revealing what was supposed to stay hidden for all of time.

Chris barely had time to look up to see the wall falling away, heavy rocks tumbling down on top of them. He held Eva close to him, whispering a final _I love you_ before they both met their end.

Errol watched impassively as his two colleagues and former friends were crushed to death by the rocks. It mattered little because their sacrifice opened the doors to his life's dream. Waiting at a safe distance until the dust had finally cleared, he glided across the room, stepping over an uncrushed limb without a care in the world, to a double door cast in bronze. Wings were inscribed on the doors. The doors were so large, the little that remained of Errol's logical side wondered how he would ever open them. They spanned almost the entire back wall, reaching almost ten feet in height.

It didn't matter. Behind those doors was his salvation.

Errol pushed hard on the doors to open them.

Nothing happened.

The old man screamed in despair.


	2. Reintroduction

Author's Notes: Hurray for Chapter 2! I apologize that there were no original characters in the first chapter, it just seemed more important to build up the story first. I hope you enjoyed it but now you can have all of the happy interactions that you want! Enjoy and please review.

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 2: Reintroduction

"Do you understand the mission?" A scowl spread across the handsome features of Commander Squall Leonhart as he absently rubbed at the scar angling down across the bridge of his nose. It was five years old and had faded from the bright angry mark that it had once been but he knew that it would never completely go away.

The voice on the other side of the phone had a flippant but overall affirmative response.

"See that it's done and be set to rendezvous with me in twenty-four hours then," Squall replied before hanging up the phone.

He sat back in his plush chair, staring out the window of his spacious office. Five years ago, he had been a new SeeD. One of the elite mercenaries that helped keep the peace in their world. He had trained from childhood to be a living weapon. Today, he was a paper pusher. A decorated hero, Commander of Balamb Garden, Rank A paper pusher. He missed the feel of Lionheart in his hand, the heat of battle making the blood in his veins sing. True, he trained and practiced everyday but it didn't replace going on missions and fighting for his life.

His phone buzzed, a sign that his secretary was summoning him. Sighing, Squall leaned forward to press the flashing button.

"Yes, Elsa?"

"Your two o'clock is here, Commander. Shall I send her in?"

"Fine."

Squall stood, straightening his SeeD uniform and slicking his fingers through his hair.

In walked the very vision of a golden goddess dressed in a SeeD uniform, a golden whip coiled and attached to her belt.

The Commander's face brightened very slightly, enough for the woman to know just how much she had been missed. It broke her heart a little inside because for an instant, all she saw was the flash of a little brown haired, blue eyed boy standing in the rain, wondering why everyone he had ever loved abandoned him.

"It's good to see you again, Squall," Quistis Trepe said warmly, wrapping her arms around the Balamb Commander, ignoring the grunt. It brought a smile to her lips as she stepped back, surveying him up and down. He had put on a little weight, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He didn't have the overly skinny look of youth but had filled out into a powerful specimen of a man.

His cheeks tinted ever so slightly red, Squall just gestured to the chair in front of his desk and shuffled back to his own seat.

Eying his straightened back and bored expression, Quistis just shook her head and took the offered seat, setting a thin briefcase down next to her from which she pulled out two files.

"Here is the reconnaissance that my teams recovered in preparation for the mission," she said, pushing the files across the desk. "I didn't really see anything out of the ordinary but I'll have six SeeD on premise, including myself and Galbadia Lieutenant Markus Slader. We'll be overseeing three teams of four candidates each."

As Squall listened, his pale blue eyes scanned the information Quistis had offered. As expected, her reports were thorough and well-researched. Nothing else could be expected from Galbadia Garden's Commander. The thought of Quistis as their Commander still left a little twinge inside of him. She had left four years ago when the offer came in without so much as a word to any of them before she accepted. He knew he couldn't really blame her for wanting to advance her career but he had always thought she would advance that career in Balamb.

Rubbing a hand against his face, Squall nodded when silence filled the room, indicating it was his turn to speak. "We will be matching your numbers and Lieutenant Xu Estral and I will be overseeing the candidates. From what I understand, Trabia will also be matching our numbers, lead by Commander Gavin Harris and Lieutenant Selphie Tilmitt."

"Excellent. Rendezvous will be at eighteen hundred hours at the Centra site tomorrow," Squall continued. "Are all of your cadets and SeeD aboard? We'll be departing within the hour."

Quistis just nodded. "Everyone is aboard and room assignments have already been taken care of," she replied crisply.

Gloved fingers drummed against the old desk before Squall leaned forward to push his intercom.

"Attention Balamb Garden, begin departure procedures. We will be leaving in sixty minutes. See that all personnel are at their assigned stations before that time." Squall paused for a moment. "As you all are aware, we will be undertaking our annual joint mission in accordance to the Tri-Garden Constitution. We currently have a small delegation of SeeD from Galbadia Garden, along with their Commander and Lieutenant. Treat all visiting SeeD members and their candidates with the respect they deserve." There was another pause, like he wanted to say more, but instead chose, "Leonhart out."

Quistis lifted her brows very slightly. "Should we be worried about a poor reception?"

Squall grimaced and shook his head. "Not really," he replied slowly. "You, of course, will be given the highest respect as a former Balamb Rank A. You're one of us… but even after five years, there are still some slight prejudices against Galbadians. Not a single person here didn't lose someone they knew during the Second Sorceress War."

A small sigh escaped Quistis' lips as she nodded. "I can understand," she admitted. "Transferring to Galbadia after the War was as much about getting a fresh start as trying to help fix some of the resentments that existed between both Gardens," she said quietly. "The last four years haven't been easy but I do believe that this annual joint mission has been helping. Nothing can help bring people together faster than the bonds of combat, learning to trust each other to watch your back."

Squall managed a small smile. "If it can work for me, I suppose there's still hope for everyone else."

Warm laughter followed suit. "A joke from the great Squall Leonhart! I didn't think it possible," Quistis teased. She paused after a moment, her head cocking to the side. On the other side of the door were loud voices. She tensed, a hand snaking down toward her whip.

Squall also heard the commotion, half rising from his seat. His mouth opened to offer some form of warning but they never got out as the door burst open.

"-QUISTY!" the loud squeal pushed both Commanders back in their chairs by the sheer magnitude of joy that burst into the room.

Before she could respond, the blonde Commander was being strangled/hugged to death by a small slip of a woman with raven black hair.

"Rinoa… Rin… Ri… gah," Quistis managed to get out as she gently patted the young sorceress on the back, desperately gesturing for air.

Rinoa Heartilly eventually seemed to understand and she stepped back with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry, Quisty!" she said, her amber eyes bright with apology. " _Someone_ was supposed to call me when you got here but no, I had to hear about it from some of the Galbadian students when they were in the cafeteria." She shot an annoyed look in Squall's direction.

"We were just trying to get a little work out of the way before you came and monopolized her time," Squall protested but very slightly stepped behind Quistis so the other woman was standing between him and the huffing dark haired treasure before him.

"Likely story!" Rinoa huffed, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. In the past several years, it had grown out and now shimmered down her back like a midnight cape draped over her shoulders. The years had been kind to the young woman, only enhancing her beauty with time as the last remaining vestiges of baby fat were lost to maturity and power. It lingered in the back of her eyes, constantly lurking in the dark corners of her soul.

Something inside Quistis shivered at the sight of the power shining out of her friend's eyes. She couldn't tell why, but a wave of dread passed over her. But then she just saw Rinoa again, full of smiles and love for everyone she met. With a sigh of relief, she gave the younger girl a more strength appropriate hug.

"It's so good to see you, Rin," Quistis said warmly. "I don't think I've seen you since we had that third anniversary party in Dollet." Her hand rested gently on the other woman's shoulder and amber met blue in sisterly affection.

Rinoa just beamed with delight. "I'm having a small get together in my room tonight," she chirped merrily. "I know Irvine wanted to see you too. We can all just have a blast together and I've already invited all of your Galbadian delegation. I've been stockpiling for weeks so we would have enough of everything for tonight!" The young woman clapped her hands together, bouncing happily.

Squall rolled his eyes and gently started pushing his girlfriend toward the door. "I'll give her all the details," he muttered exasperatedly. "I promise. But let us get some work done for now."

Rinoa grinned from under Squall's arm, waving a hand. "Dress nicely, Quisty! Go all out! It's a party afterall!" she called before the door got slammed in her face.

Squall rubbed at his old scar on the bridge of his nose. "I'll give you a thousand gil if you can give me a reason not to go to this party tonight…" he muttered, glancing over at Quistis pleadingly.

Quistis gave a loud snort in reply. "I wouldn't take a million gil to get you out of this," she replied cheerfully. "It's going to be far too much fun watching you squirm, Commander." Her smile was bright, happy and full of taunting glee.

Quistis sipped a flute of champagne as she watched Galbadian SeeDs try to mingle with Balamb's best and brightest, including two fabled heroes and the dynamic sorceress.

Sliding up on her right, her Lieutenant, Markus Slader, stepped in a toucher closer than was necessary for the social situation and nodded in the direction of Rinoa busily captivating the hearts and minds of those around her.

"So that's the sorceress, huh?" he asked quietly, gripping his glass as frothy foam slid down the outside. "Doesn't seem like a dangerous monster."

"Rinoa. Her name is Rinoa," Quistis replied warningly. "You'd do well to remember that while we are here."

Markus just shrugged, taking a swig of his beer, his grey eyes never leaving the form of the sorceress. "Thought they was supposed to be all powerful and dangerous," he mused. "This one looks like she couldn't fight off a fluffy blanket."

Quistis just smiled. "Looks can be deceiving," she said evenly. "Ultemecia never would have been defeated if it hadn't been for Rinoa's power. Remember that she holds the majority of sorceress power within her, something that not even Edea or Adel could claim."

The look of contempt changed to one of contemplation as Markus continued to stare at Rinoa, drinking his beer in silence. Quistis could honestly admit to herself that she did not personally care for Slader. He was brash, opinionated and put too much stock on appearances. It had taken months of her beating him into the ground during "friendly spars" before he would start to see her as a person worthy of his respect, let alone his commanding officer.

Quistis shook her head and moved further away, unable to stand his hot breath against her shoulder any longer. Per SeeD guidelines, she had brought not only her SeeD uniform for formal functions but attire appropriate for formal functions should the need arise for discretion. Because of her more cautious nature, she'd brought enough clothing for any type of mission, just in case. And because they were working with the University of Deling on an important archelogical find, she'd figured the chance would be high that she would need more formal clothing.

She wore a pale blue dress that left one shoulder bare, the other held with a delicate lace for a strap. It went down to a little above her knees and was paired with matching heels. Her shoulder length blonde hair had been swept up in a loose chignon with loose strands curled to frame her face. Everyone in the room could agree that she was stunning, though none had taken the time to tell her to her face.

As she glided through the room, she could see Galbadian and Balamb SeeDs slowly starting to extend a tendril of trust to each other, starting to share stories and open up to one another. It warmed her heart but the room was also stifling with it. Shaking her head, Quistis slowly made a beeline for the small balcony attached to Rinoa's room.

Outside, the chilly night air brushed over her skin, leaving goosebumps on the pale flesh. She breathed in slowly, remembering the sounds of Balamb and the smell of the salt water from the nearby ocean. She felt a tingle on the back of her neck but she wasn't worried and didn't bother to turn.

"I've really missed it here," Quistis said quietly. "Something about the sights and smells that I can never really get out of my head."

The footsteps came up beside her. "Maybe you shouldn't have left…" Squall replied.

"You knew I couldn't stay," Quistis replied, shaking her head. "I needed some distance…"

"From us? From me?" the hurt was evident in Squall's voice.

"No, not from all of you," Quistis said earnestly. "Just from… everything."

She turned, resting her back against the railing, staring back into the small party, seeing Irvine and Rinoa laughing with two of her SeeDs.

"I loved all of you but especially after everything that happened with Selphie and Irvine… after she left for Trabia with Zell, it felt like it was time to go." Quistis hesitated for a moment. "We were all started to drift apart and I wanted the chance for something of my own. I wanted… I wanted to find a home."

"You had a home," Squall replied. "And you left it."

His words hurt because deep down, she knew they were true. But she couldn't tell him the real reason she'd left. It would have hurt him too much. She couldn't tell him that she'd needed to get away from him because his position had been slowly suffocating her and drowning any chance she had of making something of herself. It would have killed her own ambition.

Squall's loyalty was a precious thing and it was one of the things that she loved most about him, but Quistis wanted to earn things for herself. If she'd stayed, the rumors that she'd gotten her Instructor's license back because she was one of his closest friends would have persisted. It would have eventually ruined her career and his. Every promotion she received would have been scrutinized by not only the staff and students but also by herself. She would always question whether she had ever really deserved to be where she was at.

She could say nothing and so she remained silent, just watching everyone else have fun while she looked in from the outside. "Have you heard from him lately?" she asked suddenly.

Quistis could feel his muscles bunch quickly in his shoulders before stilling. "Yeah."

"...How is he?"

"Still alive somehow."

Quistis smiled slightly. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me… the two of you always did have a survival streak about ten feet wide."

Squall scowled. Being compared to him in any way always set his teeth on edge. It was one thing to use him for his skills when he needed something quiet taken care of but it was another entirely to think of him as an equal.

"We need to meet with him tomorrow night, right before the meetup with Trabia," Squall said. "Something about this mission doesn't sit well with me and I want to know what the dark, dirty secrets are before we taken cadets in to that mess."

Quistis cocked her head to the side, her previous unease forgotten. "What do you mean? It's just a fluff mission. A little security and monster patrol of Centran ruins."

"I don't know… I've been having dreams lately," Squall admitted quietly. "Something about the Ruins. I see dark wings coming, turning everything to night. I reach for Rinoa but there's nothing there but feathers turning to dust. I know it has to do with the Ruins but I don't know why."

Quistis had no words because she had been suffering through similar dreams herself. Dark wings, suffocating night, blinding pain and then a burning that covered her in light. Burning. Burning. Burning bright until everything in her world combusted.

The blonde Commander shuddered in the darkness. "They're just dreams," Quistis said quietly. "They _are_ just dreams, right?" It was hard to say when you counted a powerful sorceress as a friend and ally.

Squall shook his head. In his heart, he could feel that something was tied to Rinoa's powers and perhaps he was feeling the dreams more dramatically because he was the sorceress knight. He looked in through the door, smiling as he watched Rinoa telling a funny story to a Galbadian SeeD and the Galbadian Lieutenant. He felt her tilt her eyes in his direction and send a feeling of warmth and love toward him.

 _Are you bored already, my love?_ Rinoa sent toward the familiar mind of her knight with affection. _At least you have some time to spend with Quisty. Cherish these days with her._

Squall rolled his eyes but responded in kind, _These events are never as thrilling for me as they are for you. It's been good to see Quistis again but I can still feel like she's holding back from me._

Rinoa's gaze shifted slightly to include the lovely young woman standing next to her knight. _Just trust her, my love. I can feel that her friendship will be very important to us in the days to come. She is the bright light in the darkness who can keep us safe…_

The hard handle of the whip molded to her slender hand, her gloved fingers keeping a firm, yet delicate grip as the whip swung above her head before her wrist snapped, the tip cracking through the air. The golden barbs cut through the sparse plantlife on the Centran plains. Pausing, Quistis coiled the whip with practiced ease and returned it to its place on her belt as she removed her gloves to take a sip of water from the nearby bottle on the ground.

She took in a deep breath, the balmy sea air so different this far south of Balamb. She'd been raised not too many miles from this very spot, in a grey house by the sea. Her lips curved upwards as she thought about Irvine and Zell chasing Selphie through the house with old sacks on their heads. It had been all well and good until Zell let the sack slip too far and he couldn't see from his eyeholes anymore and chased Selphie right through a glass door. It all seemed a lifetime ago when she was so full of laughter and freedom.

Shaking her head, the bottle was tossed back to the ground and Quistis took up her whip once more, going through the slow motions before speeding them up to give the tip its cuttingly fast movement. If the barbs had caught anything but air, the sheer force could have broken bone or at the very least left behind deep cuts.

Next, she added in her footwork, taking hopping steps in each direction as she cracked the whip, faster and faster until it was almost like a dance that she performed with no one but her whip. It became an extension of her arm as she twirled through the air, snapping and coiling in quick motions.

And then it took a darker turn as Quistis imagined the cruel pale face of the dark haired, dark winged sorceress, the still bodies of her friends crumpled before her. She snapped the whip, leaving cuts against the white skin, taking feathers from those graceful wings, but it made no difference.

"Nooo!" Quistis cried out as she did a half coil of her whip before snapping it out to full length, giving the strike more power than usual to wrap around the dark monster's pretty pale throat to snap it. She tugged hard for the final blow but she wasn't falling slowly into darkness anymore and her whip was not wrapped around a dead sorceress's neck but around the hilt of Lionheart. With a quick jerk of her wrist, the whip's grip slackened and she returned it to her belt.

She took in a deep, shuddering breath, discreetly wiping tears from her eyes under the guise of sweat.

"I didn't think we were meeting for another forty-five minutes," Quistis said briskly, removing the clip that held back her golden hair and running her fingers through it.

"That was true… about thirty-five minutes ago," Squall replied, sliding Lionheart back into his sheath. "I just came looking for you and you seemed… off. I wanted to see what was wrong."

Quistis smiled almost bitterly to herself. Once upon a time, she would have been grateful for Squall to worry about her, but now… she could barely look him in the eyes. The memory of the dark winged sorceress floated through her head again and she shuddered. In her dreams, she no longer saw the hideous features of Ultimecia but of the trusting brown eyes of Rinoa.

"It's nothing," Quistis replied, quirking a smile as reassuringly as she could manage. "I guess this mission has me a little more on edge than I had thought it would."

Finally finished with combing out her hair with her fingers, she twisted her hair back up into its fishtail again, letting two tendrils hang loose to frame her face. She brushed dust off of her long rose skirt and matching vest and readjusted the long maroon dragonskin gloves that protected her arms from the sharp barbs of the whip.

Quistis offered Squall a small smile, trying to take the edge out of her sharp tone. "I guess it's just a little weird being all back together again. But good. I've really missed you guys. Maybe I feel guilty that I didn't keep in better touch when I left."

Squall shook his head, a hand resting lazily against his gunblade hilt. "It's fine." He hesitated before continuing. "It's been… weird the last few years. Rinoa says it will be good that we can all work together again on a mission." The mention of the raven haired sorceress made his lips turn upward. "And I agree. I've… I've missed you."

Quistis knew it was a hard admission for him to make - he was so restrained with his emotions that claiming to need or miss anyone was a difficult thing to say. But it warmed her heart to know that he hadn't just cast her off in his sullen anger for her leaving. They were as she had always truly wanted them to be, finally. A part of each other's lives. Friends. Family.

Squall checked his watch and get a grunt. "We need to get to the meeting place now," he said. "We're supposed to meet up in five minutes. We should be able to make it." He glanced over his shoulder to Quistis with a teasing look. "Up for an endurance run?"

He took off across the barren plains towards the distant coast, Quistis giving a little laugh before she barreled after him, her blonde hair whipping behind her in the breeze.

Both Commanders were a little out of breath when they arrived on the bluffs overlooking the sea. Squall swiped his dark hair out of his eyes before proceeding to the edge and dropping down out of sight. A small cave opened up from the cliff face, allowing relative privacy and little chance that they would be stumbled upon. It was a place he had discovered as a small child on a picnic with the rest of the orphanage. Him and one other.

Quistis was a little hesitant as she dropped down as well, catching the cliffside with her hands and angling her body to swing in to the open mouth of a cave about five feet down. It was hard to see the opening from this angle so she had to plan and hope that she hadn't misjudged her approach or else it would be a much longer drop down than she anticipated. She gave one hard swing before letting go and held her breath.

She had planned her angles fairly well and as she came sliding in, a strong arm caught her waist to pull her the rest of the way in. Quistis grunted slightly at the pressure, falling forward and taking her helper with her. They both fell into the soft sand floor of the cave, her head bouncing off of a broad chest protected by a heavy vest and a black trench coat.

As Quistis looked up, she knew that the person under her wasn't Squall. He was too broad for her childhood companion's thin, lithe form. That only left one choice. She found herself staring in to the annoyed green eyes of Seifer Almasy.

"You've put on a few pounds, Instructor," Seifer groaned as he stood, dropping her from his lap and onto the sand. He gingerly touched his chest, grimacing. "Maybe even more than a few. The Paper pushing lifestyle does not suit you."

Quistis scowled in return, rising to her feet as she brushed the sand from her clothes. She had never been over 120 in her life so she knew that Seifer was just trying to push her buttons but it still annoyed her for some reason.

Squall just shook his head. "Enough. What intel do you have for us?" he asked, his voice cutting through the small cave with his intensity.

Quistis crossed her arms, glaring at Seifer with two cold blue eyes. Two years ago, Squall had approached her with a potential side project that if it worked would be beneficial for both Gardens but if it failed had the chance of ruining both of their careers. She had accepted and he had led her to a secret meeting with Seifer, along with Rinoa.

" _What the hell is he doing here, Leonhart?" Quistis' voice was loud and angry in the Fire Cavern as she pointed to the dark shape of Seifer Almasy. "That man should be locked up in a jail for a very long time for what he's done."_

 _To her surprise, it had been Rinoa who came to his defense. "Quistis… you can't understand the bond between a sorceress and knight." She looked sadly in Squall's direction. "It's a bond that cannot be broken. The knight is sworn to protect his sorceress and he will do anything she commands once the bond is formed, even if he knows that it's wrong."_

 _Squall rubbed at his face, ignoring everything else. "Quistis, Seifer has come to me with a proposition. He knows that stepping back into society isn't likely because of everything that's happened. Even with the word of a sorceress, there are too many who wouldn't understand the toll of being a sorceress' knight and they'll condemn him. They'll kill him. Seifer wants a place in this world, even an invisible one. He's been putting together a black ops group that can operate outside of the law and provide us with opportunities that would otherwise be frowned upon by the Tri-Garden Council."_

" _You're talking about a Black SeeD group," Quistis interrupted, her eyes wide. "You want to form an illegal Black SeeD group. Why involve me?"_

 _Seifer just smirked. "Black SeeD for the Black Sheep of Garden," he taunted. "You know that politics are becoming a bigger and bigger issue and you idiots can't even wipe your own ass without getting authorization from the Tri-Garden Council."_

" _Why involve me, though?" Quistis asked again._

" _Because you know this man just as well as I do," Squall replied. "Because if you think he's too far gone to be trusted, I'll believe you. Because I need the support of at least one other commanding officer from the Gardens to have a chance at making this work."_

 _Quistis nodded slowly, understanding. "As the official Tri-Garden Council Secretary, you want me to fudge some paperwork to get you the supplies you'll need without drawing attention to what you're actually doing."_

 _Squall just shrugged. "You know as well as I do that with the red tape we now have to push through, lives could be saved if we have a group that can act without needing to bend over backwards."_

" _Quistis, please…" Rinoa's voice was soft in the background. Despite the warmth of the cavern, she was running her hands up and down her arms as if she was chilled. "There's something coming and… I know that we need this. Please. Redemption comes in all forms and even Seifer Almasy deserves the chance. He was as much a pawn as the rest of us in what happened."_

 _Quistis sighed, glaring at both Squall and Seifer. "Neither of you play fair," she growled out. If Edea and Rinoa had earned a second chance after being manipulated by Ultimecia, then she supposed that Seifer did too, especially if what Rinoa had said was true about knights._

" _Fine!" Quistis snapped. "But this had better work, Leonhart, or else it will be both of our careers going to the chopping block if someone finds out about this."_

"Always in such a rush, Commander," Seifer demurred as he bent down to retrieve some files from a small bag on the ground. All black gear hugged the former knight's trim frame, down to a sweeping black coat with dual crosses on the shoulders. He looked as fit and arrogant as he always did on their rare meetings.

Annoyance flashed through Squall's eyes but he made no comment. He had been dealing with the man's antics for quite a while now and was used to wanting to punch him in the face.

"Here's the intel I dug up on the members of the dig team, along with what security measures are in place and potential points of weakness. What, exactly, they're looking for has been harder to figure out though I think it has something to do with some of that crazy bastard's theories." Seifer paused and ran a hand through his shining blond hair. "The lead scientist, Errol, is one fucked up piece of shit. A lot of complaints from grad assistants for his behavior. Nothing concrete though. He always managed to make complaints disappear. He's a leading expert in the field of Ancient Centra so not many are willing to stand up and proclaim that he's a perv."

Quistis rolled her eyes as she stepped in close enough to read over Squall's shoulder. She'd read a few papers regarding Errol's theories about the Old Gods of Centra and Hyne's usurping of their power. It had always sounded more like fantasy than fact to her but she would never claim to be an expert.

"Has there been any unusual activity at the dig site that should affect the mission?" Squall asked absently, his eyes running over sketches of the area and guard layouts.

"Not really, just the murder…"


	3. Interlude

Author Notes: And here we are again! I've been adding more flashbacks as noted with italics just because a lot of time has passed between the end of the game and when things start back up again and the lives . I hope that you're enjoying where things are going so far and that you'll leave your love in a review!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me!

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 3: Interlude

The official call regarding the double murder came in as soon as Garden was within local transmission distance, about six hours out from the dig site. The young site assistant had almost wept with relief when Xu picked up the fuzzy signal and babbled for a good fifteen minutes before the Lieutenant was able to gather any useful information. The dig site hadn't sprung for global communication devices that were rapidly becoming the norm and had relied on the local transmissions. In most cases, it wouldn't have been a problem, but it prevented them from reaching out to Garden until it was much closer in.

Sitting in the large conference room, the three Gardens' representatives sat silently, reviewing the information that had been retrieved from both Seifer and what had been sent from the site itself. Though Quistis had already reviewed everything in detail and had spent the better part of the last two hours in one of the computer rooms looking for even more information, she studied the sheets of paper diligently. Next to her, Slader scowled down at the information. He hated reading through long mission briefs though even he had to admit that there was something of a mystery afoot.

Next to them at the large round table were the Trabian Commander and Lieutenant, Gavin Harris and the bubbly Selphie Tilmitt. There had been no time for more than cursory greetings before they'd all been swept up into this meeting, so the young Lieutenant was practically bouncing in her seat, even as she read.

The last of the group were Squall and Xu, silent and grim as they waited. There had been very little good to come out of the information packets.

"In addition to our original contract to help thin the monster herds in the area, we've been requested to help in the murder investigations of Eva Brown and Christopher Stevens. Because this is the Tri-Garden mission, we all need to come to a consensus of how we should proceed from here," Squall said, his hands resting lightly on the table.

"We should proceed as planned," Quistis said immediately. "Not only have we already contracted out for this mission but it's a SeeD exam. Though while we're busy with the exams, we should send some of our SeeDs to begin the investigation."

"Only Trabia and Balamb have access to additional SeeD members, Commander," Slader replied sourly. "Galbadia would not be able to assist on the same level as most of our men will be tied up with the exam. I think we should pass. We aren't local law enforcement. We're SeeD."

"Trabia would be glad to offer you additional manpower to help with your exam if you'd like to pull some more of your SeeD off to focus on the investigation," Harris interjected. He was a calm man in his mid-forties, a decorated SeeD who had been at Trabia for years. Though older than many of the others, he was still well-respected and considered a handsome man by most of the female populations.

Xu nodded. "I agree. Balamb and Trabia can offer more assistance to the exams so we can put more of our best SeeDs on the investigation. It will be no hardship for either Garden."

"You think we'd let our best and brightest be graded by Garden scum?" Slader snarled in return. "Your poor excuses of SeeD wouldn't know talent or integrity if it hit them in the face."

"SLADER," Quistis was on her feet, blue eyes blazing. "You forget your place, Lieutenant."

The rest of the room was on their feet in an outrage, but no one could react faster than Quistis as a fist slammed down into his face.

The Lieutenant went sprawling from his chair, tumbling backwards to the ground. He rolled and was back on his feet in an instant. "You stupid bitch," he shouted. "I'll have your command for this. I have powerful friends who will strip you of your rank."

Quistis ignored the threat and turned to Squall. "Can you have him held securely until this mission is over?" she asked coldly. "He's done in SeeD, but I want to make sure I hand him over to the Headmaster personally."

"Done," Squall replied. He glanced to Xu. "See that he's placed in a secure guest room with round the clock guard and no external means of communication."

Xu swept over to the bruised Slader, gripping his arm. "You'll come with me quietly or I'll break your arm," she said calmly.

Slader gave one hate filled look to the room before following Xu out without a fight. He knew that he was vastly outnumbered, and he would just need to bide his time.

Once the door was closed once more, Quistis dropped back down into her seat, rubbing at her forehead. "I apologize to everyone for my Lieutenant's remarks," she said quietly. "He vastly underestimates the worth of the other Gardens and sees Galbadia as the supreme country and no other could ever compare. His ambition and hatred were going to stop him from ever going any higher in the SeeD hierarchy, but it doesn't excuse his behavior here."

"Think nothing of it, Commander Trepe," Harris replied. "He's a vastly troubled young man and I remember him from his semester abroad at Trabia. This reflects poorly on him, not you."

Squall shook his head. "Let's adjourn here for now. I think we're all of one mind that the mission should continue and expand as needed. We will work out the logistics once we've surveyed the site in person. Dismissed, everyone."

Quistis remained in her seat, letting the others file out before her. She would need to contact Headmaster Nico Poole immediately and let him know what was going on. Even though Poole was also a true bred Galbadian, he was more open and understanding of inter-Garden relations. He was a military man, throwing his dedication behind SeeD, not behind any one country. He would be disappointed about Slader because he had wanted to give the well-connected young man a chance to go far but she knew that he would accept her decision.

"Quisty?" a soft high voice barely whispered into the room.

Turning, Quistis saw Selphie standing in the doorway, one leg hooked behind the other in a position that had always reminded her of a flamingo. A smile bloomed. "Selph. Sorry we didn't get to talk before all of this went down."

Selphie shook her head, "It's okay. I wanted to see if you wanted to come have lunch with me and Zell. I know he was really looking forward to seeing you."

Quistis stood and nodded. "I'd like that a lot, Selph. I've missed the both of you since you left." She hooked an arm around her friend and the two started toward the elevator. "How's Trabia doing? I heard that you have your Garden Festival coming in up in a few months. I was thinking of trying to sneak over to enjoy it."

Selphie beamed, her emerald eyes glimmering brightly. "That would be fantastic, Quisty! This one is going to be the best one yet. We've got some great bands coming in from Esthar and a lot of local Trabian craftsmen are actually going to come sell their wares. It's going to be great."

The two girls chatted absently about the Garden Festival and shopping trips they had taken years ago all the way to the Cafeteria. As they entered the normally loud and bustling room, they were both taken back by the tense silence.

A group of Galbadian cadets were facing off with Balamb students as they flung insults back and forth.

"Orphan scum," one promising SeeD cadet shouted across the large room. "Not fit to wear the SeeD uniform."

"High society brats don't know what it means to face hardship…" one of the Balamb recruits replied.

The words kept getting hotter and hotter until the dam broke, and the two teams rushed each other, fists flying.

"STOP." Quistis raised a hand and summoned forth her magic, arm extended, fingers slightly flared out. She could feel the electric charge run down her arm, drawing from her own vitality as it went until it spread out through the cafeteria.

Everyone within fifteen feet of her cast immediately froze. Selphie's emerald eyes half bugged out of her head as she stared at Quistis. She had always been one of their strongest magic casters but the ability to freeze an entire room should have been beyond her. Even Rinoa would be hard pressed to summon the strength to cast something so strong.

"Quisty, release the Trabian SeeDs and they can help us break up the fight," Selphie piped up, pointing to the four young men in the middle of walking toward the group, looking like they were going to try and break up the fight anyway.

With a silent nod, Quistis took a breath and cast Esuna, focusing directly on those four bodies, blocking out everyone else.

The men looked around them in confusion but snapped to attention as Selphie skipped up to them. She was probably the only Lieutenant in Garden who would skip. With the added man power, when Quistis released the rest of the room from her spell, they were able to stop the fight before anyone actually swung a punch that could result in their dismissal from Garden. Participants were lead away to go face the justice of the Headmaster and Quistis leaned back against the cafeteria wall, just trying to stay out of the way.

She had actually surprised herself with the strength of her spell and the aftereffects of the Stop burned down her arms. She had been casting since she was twelve and hadn't felt the burns from overcasting since she was still a raw recruit.

"Quistis," intoned a heavy voice behind her. Turning, she saw Xu walking toward her. "I need to file a report, can you tell me what happened?"

Quistis gave a tired smile, gesturing over to Selphie who was discussing the matter with her SeeDs, one of them being Zell. "Selphie and I were coming down here for lunch and the Galbadian recruits and some of the Balamb JCs were getting in to it. Before they could swing a punch, I cast Stop. I meant to only hit the ones in the actual fight, but I accidentally covered the whole room." She shook her head. "If Squall or Cid need to bring up official charges for casting on non-combatants, I understand."

Xu frowned, taking notes at a rapid pace. "Quis… we've been friends for a long time. I was there when you took your SeeD exam. You shouldn't have been able to cover the entire cafeteria." She tried to choose her words carefully to not give offense. Quistis had always taken her magic casting seriously and was one of the best in the world as far as Xu was concerned.

Quistis shook her head. "I know I shouldn't have but the spell that came out was just… strong. Almost too strong for me to control. Like a JC trying to cast Ultima for the first time." She gently rubbed her wrists. "I can feel the burn still, like it was searing my blood as it went through."

"Well… we're almost on top of the Centra ruins," Xu offered. "Maybe it's affecting your magic somehow. We know the Centran were all about the magic. Who knows how their ruins might muck about with our current technologies."

A smile rose and Quistis nodded. "You're probably right. Let me know if you need anything else from me but I should probably get something to eat and maybe some ice for my wrists." Looking down, she could see her skin was still a dark red with welts forming like rope burn.

Xu tucked away her notes and nodded. "We should get together soon, Quis. You've been gone for way too long."

With their business concluded, Quistis joined Selphie as she was finishing up with her SeeDs. They all departed, apart from Zell who had a hand resting casually on her shoulder.

"Quistis!" Zell shouted enthusiastically when he caught sight of her. "It's great to see you again!"

She flinched slightly at the loud voice but smiled all the same. "It's good to see you again too, Zell. How are you doing in Trabia?"

The three began to inch toward the line as they spoke. "It's great. The students are really enthusiastic about learning and I've even taken on some more advanced kids to focus on hand to hand as their primary."

Quistis nodded absently. It was unusual for a SeeD to use gloves or knuckles as their primary weapon just because it left them vulnerable in many situations but the ones that did tended to be exceptional and dedicated to their craft. Most took on a different weapon for their primary and just went through the needed classes to learn basic combat skills to defend in close quarters attacks.

As they continued to walk toward the line, their path was interrupted by a long shadow in front of them. Taking in the silhouette, Quistis could identify at least the cowboy hat sitting atop a tall frame. She winced very slightly on the inside, cringing at the idea of Selphie and Irvine having their first public meeting in the cafeteria.

"Quistis," Irvine greeted first, wrapping her up in a tight hug and pulling her straight off her feet. The hug was slowly crushing her ribs and even as she hugged back tightly, she could feel the tension and need to not let go. But he did and as he pulled back, his coffee colored eyes came next to Selphie and Zell, most notably on the hand that was still casually resting on the smaller SeeD's shoulder.

"Irvy," Selphie greeted cautiously and they could all see the conflicted emotion on the cowboy's face.

"Selph. Zell." Irvine practically spit out the words through his clenched teeth.

His heart clenched tightly as he stared at the petite, brunette woman who had taken his heart with him when she'd left for Trabia and the man who he had thought of as a brother who went with her. But then again, it had been his own fault.

" _Irvy Irvy Irvy!" Selphie screeched as she came barreling down the hallway toward the dorms, her tiny feet pounding the tile floor as fast as she could. "IRVY!"_

 _Irvine waited patiently outside of his door, just letting Selphie come to him. He'd learned the hard way that if he tried to meet her halfway, there was usually a collusion and after he'd gotten a flying knee in the balls last time, he just waited for her to arrive at her own hyperactive speed._

 _As was usual, Selphie came to a skidding stop in front of him, throwing her arms around his neck in a stranglehold._

" _I just heard from Commander Gavin Harris at Trabia," Selphie beamed. "He's asked me to come back to Trabia to help with the rebuild and serve as Lieutenant!"_

 _Irvine's heart stopped. They weren't technically dating. They flirted, they hung out, they did everything that people romantically involved did but they weren't dating. Part of that was his fault. He didn't like labels, he didn't like being tied down (well, except for sometimes in bedroom games) and he didn't do the whole boyfriend thing. At least, that's what he had told Selphie. She was a hyperactive angel who deserved someone who could be true to her and love her for the spunky spitfire that she was. He desperately wanted it to be him, but he was afraid of failing her._

 _Realizing that he had been staring at her for a little too long with his mouth half open, Irvine cleared his throat. "Oh? Are you going to take it?" he asked as calmly as he could._

" _I… I think I am," Selphie replied, her shining brightness suddenly subdued. "I mean, it'd be an amazing opportunity and not one I'm likely to ever get here in Balamb." Her one leg hooked behind the other in her characteristic nervous gesture. "And as much as I love all of you guys, I guess I don't know if I have anything holding me to Balamb. I'm not from here, a lot of my friends are still back in Trabia…"_

 _Irvine looked away from her imploring green eyes. He wanted to tell her to stay. Squall would find a way for her to go up in rank here in Balamb. If she wanted a fancy title, she could definitely earn one. And then he could stay with her forever. His mouth went dry. How selfish could he be, telling her to stay just because he couldn't stand the idea of life with her on a different continent._

" _I'm happy for you, Selph," Irvine said slowly. "We'll all miss you and all of your hard work on the Garden Festival though."_

" _Oh… well, uh, thanks!" Selphie bounced a few lackluster times before giving him a wave as she turned to walk away. "I should go and talk to Squall about it then. Y'know, they're still looking for instructors at Trabia…" she added, looking over her shoulder._

 _Irvine could hear the question. And he wanted to say yes. "I'll be sure to spread the word. Who knows, maybe Quistis might want to reapply for her instructor's license to go to Trabia."_

" _...right. Well see you later, Irvy."_

It was Zell who had gone with her. Zell who had kept her company on those long winter nights in Trabia. Zell who had been dating her for the past few years and keeping her happy and being the recipient of her bright smiles. He had no right to be mad at either of them but still, the sight of them together made his blood boil.

"Ah… Irvine, I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about!" Quistis interrupted his thoughts as she tugged on his arm. "Selph, Zell, I'll catch up with you guys a little later!" she called as she half dragged the cowboy from the cafeteria.

In the open hall, Irvine took a deep breath. "Thanks, Quistis. I had to get out of there. I just… I can't stand looking at her and Zell together." His fingers flexed. "I just wanted to punch his smug face in and I know that it's not his fault. But how could he… how could he be with her when he knows…" His voice broke off as he dropped his head down, letting the low brim of the cowboy hat hide his face away.

Quistis could only give the tall cowboy a sympathetic squeeze on the arm. "How about a walk in the Quad," she suggested. "Get some fresh air and get away from the cafeteria."

Irvine shook his head, clearing his breath. "It's fine, Quisty. I need to check in with Squall about the SeeD exams. I'm helping out with the evaluations."

As she watched her friend disappear through the throngs of people walking to and from the cafeteria, Quistis felt her heart twist from the pain of Irvine's personal heartbreak. She'd never loved like he had and for once felt grateful to be spared the pain of rejection and unrequited love. Feeling her appetite shrivel up and die, she sighed and wandered away from the crowds of people and back to the guest quarters that she had been assigned.

These rooms were far grander than the traditional SeeD rooms with a small living area and kitchenette in addition to a luxurious double bed instead of the traditional twin. Still, the walls were white and plain, the furniture sterile and bland. The only small bit of color was the picture that always traveled with her and was currently set up on the nightstand of her bedroom.

As she walked into her bedroom, her fingers slowly unbuttoning the jacket of her SeeD uniform, she stopped as she felt something amiss. In the dark room, a shadow was out of place. Before anything could move or disappear, there was a crack of Save the Queen, unfurled from its coiled place on her waist and sailing through the air.

A strong arm lashed out, protecting the invader's face from the sharp barbs of the whip, the leather digging in and wrapping around the leather encased limb. Quistis gave a sharp jerk of her wrist, pulling the mystery figure forward into the dim light that spilled into the room from the living area of the room.

"Hyne, Trepe," Seifer muttered as his arm tensed, resisting the barbs digging through his leather coat and down into the skin of his arm. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"Marlboro balls," Quistis swore as she eased the tension in her whip and unraveled it from Seifer's arm. "What are you doing in here?"

Seifer flexed his arm gingerly, feeling the sting of the cuts left behind by Save the Queen. "I'm hurt that you aren't glad to see me," he mocked. But he shook his head. "Wanted to talk to you in private before you reached your destination."

Quistis just nodded as she recoiled Save the Queen, leaving it on her dresser top and picking up her small medical kit before going to sit on the edge of her bed. Her SeeD jacket hung loose and open, revealing the thin cream camisole underneath. It was just sheer enough to show the contours of her body in shadows and light.

Without a word, Seifer removed his jacket and draped it over her pillows, followed by the vest and shirt underneath. He was left in a thin black tank top as he sat down next to Quistis, offering up his arm with thin droplets of blood beginning to dry on his skin. It was a routine between the two of them. He would sneak into her room to deliver additional information and she'd nearly kill him with her whip before cleaning him back up.

As she gently dabbed antibiotic cream on the small wounds, Quistis just waited patiently for Seifer to speak. It was another part of their routine. Sometimes he would begin talking right away. Other times he would need some time to gather his thoughts and find the right way to word what he wanted to say. It reminded her of when he had been her student. Always so rash and quick to response most of the times, but when he actually cared about what he was talking about, he was thoughtful and in rare instances, she could see a tactical brilliance that made her regret that he never had a chance to become a SeeD.

"This guy, Errol," Seifer finally said. "I dug a little deeper on him because for the time being, he's still in charge. I gather that the Board is more than a little concerned about the murders and while no one on site wants to actually point a finger at him, no one would really be surprised if he wasn't behind it."

He stirred a little as Quistis gently wiped away the last of the dried blood. The way she tended to his wounds, he wondered how her hands could be so gentle when they belonged to a mercenary who had killed for the first time before her fifteenth birthday. They were the hands of someone who should have been healing.

"Why would he kill two members of his own team?" Quistis asked quietly as she began to bandage his arm in gauze. "The files said that he had handpicked his own team, so you would think everyone would be loyal to him."

"Errol was a grade A perv," Seifer replied. "So, it wouldn't surprise me if he picked Brown in the hopes of screwing her. And Stevens was a brilliant stud in the archeological world. The new Errol. But an Errol with common decency and a soul. Rumor had it that Stevens and Brown were quite the hot item on site, but no one could confirm it with any sort of evidence."

Quistis frowned as she absorbed the information, tying off the gauze and giving Seifer a little pat on the shoulder. "I still don't think that's enough of a reason to murder two people, especially in the middle of the dig site. Errol sounds like a lot of things, but his work was his life. He wouldn't potentially destroy ancient artifacts that could prove his theories over a little professional jealousy."

"Just watch your back with him," Seifer replied, standing up and lazily padding out of the room.

Quistis watched him leave, his back muscles coiling and bunching as he swung his arms back and forth, all the way to her little refrigerator in what passed for a kitchen. She admired the view as he bent down to pull out a cold bottle of water and one of her favorite bottles of tea infused with peach and honey. He walked back and silently handed her the bottle of tea while he cracked open his water and took a long gulp.

"I have no evidence that he's dangerous," Seifer continued. "It's just… intuition. There's something that feels familiar about him. When I was walking around on site after the murder, he felt different than he had in previous days. I can't tell you how, just that I wouldn't trust him."

Leaning back on the bed, Quistis took a small sip of her tea, "I'll keep a close eye on him," she promised.

Seifer looked down at the blonde woman stretched out on her bed, SeeD jacket sliding to her sides, revealing the pale skin of her stomach as her camisole rode up. Her skin looked soft to the touch and smelled faintly of some faraway citrus scent. She was beautiful and alluring although she didn't even realize it. Or maybe _because_ she didn't know. He leaned down over her, one knee balanced on the bed beside her body, each hand braced on either side of her head.

Quistis looked up at Seifer with defiant blue eyes, but a smile sloped across her soft rose lips. Behind the challenge was trust. Of perhaps even affection but most definitely friendship. It had been that way for the past two years. In public, they poked at each other, lashed out and challenged each other. They had to, not only for appearance sake but also to ensure that each was providing the strongest position possible. It helped keep each other safe. But in private, they had developed a casual relationship that came and went for the few days here and there that they saw each other.

Seifer's calloused hand gently cupped her cheek, fingers sliding through the very edges of her hairline. He felt the silken strands grazing against his skin, tickling his senses and flaming the fire that had been burning hot since he'd pulled her into the cave the previous day.

A cough at the door startled both back into upright positions. Seifer's hand swung automatically for Hyperion while Quistis' eyes darted to her dresser for Save the Queen and coming up empty.

Both occupants of the room paused when they realized it was only Squall staring at them from his spot leaning on the doorframe.

"You shouldn't be on the grounds," Squall chided of Seifer.

Seifer just shrugged and pulled his shirt back over his head. "I wanted to pass along some suspicions to Quistis before you all went in," he replied blandly.

Quistis just raised her sculpted eyebrows in Squall's direction. "Did you need something?" she asked.

Squall shook his head, rubbing at his scar. "You know that's an excuse, Almasy. You could just say you came to see her. You could have easily passed along any information at yesterday's meeting." He rolled his eyes. "But I figured you would be here, which is why I stopped by."

His words surprised both Seifer and Quistis, not only his casual acknowledgment of their relationship but that he would need to see Seifer again.

"After reviewing all the information and seeing the… not so pleased reactions from some of the Galbadian sector," Squall's eyes shifted to Quistis for a moment before coming back to rest on the Black SeeD. "I want you to go in as a part of the investigation." A hand came up to halt both of their protests. "I have a fake ID and credentials waiting for you in my office. With some alterations, no one will question it. Very few would be able to ID you now, let alone while in disguise. A few… high level SeeDs-" which Quistis took to mean as the orphanage gang, "-will be aware of your presence and will be in place to assist should any problems arise."

Seifer raised his brows in surprise. He was the silent visitor who came and left in the middle of the night, alone. He wasn't a SeeD, so he didn't go on missions. But his eyes shifted over to Quistis. Even though he knew that she could handle herself in any situation, he had still been concerned about her. There was something happening on that dig site and he didn't want anything to happen to her.

" _Screw you, Almasy," Quistis snarled as she slammed her fist down on her desk. As the Commander of Galbadia Garden, she had an opulent office located at the very top of the towering red structure. The large desk was made of the rarest woods from Timber, carved by the finest artisans from Dollet. Everything screamed the power and wealth of her position, but when placed near Seifer Almasy, she was nothing but a fiery five-year-old again who let her buttons get pushed._

 _The very thought of her childhood self made Seifer smirk as he propped his feet up on her desk, dusting the organized piles with the dirt of his boots._

" _You're always such a sweet talker, Instructor," he sneered delightedly. "But haven't I been a good boy? Don't I deserve the toys Commander Puberty Boy promised me?"_

 _Quistis balled her hands up into fists, trying to figure out how they'd exactly gotten to this point, in each other's faces and screaming into the night. He's arrived in her office at the appointed time to receive the equipment he needed for an operation he was undertaking for Squall and it had just been like they were children again, throwing insults back and forth until one just hit a little too close to home and was too personal. It went from being a dark dance as they circled one another to wanting to beat each other up._

 _Refusing to let him get her upset, she stood from her desk and retreated to her private closet, tapping out her personal code into the number pad and retrieving two survival backpacks which she half threw at Seifer's face._

" _Now get out."_

 _Seifer caught both bags, setting them on the floor next to his chair and grinned. "Don't you want to lecture me for five hours on the boring details of how to use a pair of binoculars?" he taunted._

 _His dark green eyes raked her up and down, shaking his head imperceptibly at the Galbadian uniform instead of Balamb._

" _I can't believe you sold out to these Galbadian pricks." The words slipped out before Seifer could stop them._

 _A flush crept up Quistis' neck to her cheeks, highlighting the faint strawberry highlights in her golden hair. "I didn't sell out, I received a well-deserved promotion."_

" _And whose ceiling did you have to stare at to receive your 'well-deserved' promotion?" Seifer shot back. The moment he said it, he knew he'd taken it a step too far. He saw the color flush back out of her skin, leaving it as white as a kid after chugging down a Gayla's Mystery Fluid._

" _Quis…" he never got any further as his head snapped back from the hard punch he received from a mean right hook. He hadn't even seen her move at him again._

" _Ow."_

" _Jackass," Quistis growled, as she turned her back to him._

" _I didn't mean it."_

" _Right. You really believe that bookworm Quisty deserved one of the highest military positions attainable in Garden," Quistis snapped. "You believe that a magic user, a woman,_ _ **I**_ _deserve to be the Commander of an entire Garden."_

 _Seifer could hear the faint quiver in her voice. He remembered it from childhood when he'd finally upset her enough to make her cry, but she refused to do so in front of him in fear of being called a cry baby like Zell. And just like from childhood, he felt the stirrings of guilt. She could have easily run to Matron when they were kids and he would have been doing extra chores for weeks but instead she would try to face off with him while trying not to cry._

 _He wanted to apologize, but he was Seifer Almasy. "Magic, gender and you have nothing to do with it," Seifer said with a cocky smile. "It's just that no one deserves to be higher placed than me. Because I'm the strongest."_

 _Despite herself, Quistis snorted out a breath of laughter, turning to look at him over her shoulder and roll her eyes in an exaggerated manner. "You're still a jackass, Almasy," she replied._

 _But she smiled. It was one of those rare, breath taking smiles that Seifer could only ever remember seeing maybe half a dozen times in his life. The day Matron told her she was going to be adopted and taken home to a real family in a small town outside of Deling. The day she first demonstrated her Blue Magic to all her classmates and magic professor at Garden. The day she had passed her SeeD exam as one of the youngest ever. He could see her heart shaped face lighting up from some joy or delight. It started from her Diamond Dust blue eyes and spread, turning her from a beautiful woman into an angel._

 _And this time, unlike all the others, the smile was because of him. Because he had made her laugh, a soft silken sound that gripped at his heart in a way he didn't understand. Seifer just stared at Quistis and her beauty, speechless for once. He silently padded across the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, his lips hot and needy on hers._

 _Overcome with surprise, Quistis tried to push Seifer off but found herself not pushing overly hard. She knew that if she wanted him off her, she could remove him. But she also knew that if she really didn't want it, he wouldn't have held her so tightly against him. Giving in to the possessive feel of his kiss, she rose a little on her toes to push closer._

 _It was a kiss that lasted seconds, but felt like years had passed. As he released her, Seifer looked down into her icy blue eyes and grinned. A stray finger swiped across her rosy cheek._

" _Until the next delivery, Commander," he breathed into her ear before he was gone._

Seifer couldn't say he was particularly thrilled to be alone with Squall as they silently climbed to the top regions of Garden in the middle of the night. He had been hoping to be wrapped up in Quistis for much of the night before disappearing with the dawn.

"You know you'll ruin her career if you keep this up," Squall interjected into his thoughts. It was unusual. He was not really one to offer advice or an opinion.

Seifer just cast a scornful look at his one-time rival. "She's a big girl and can do whatever she wants," he replied lazily. "If she wants to get mixed up in the likes of me, that's her decision, not yours."

Squall shrugged. "It's her decision but she also deserves more than a dead man who comes and goes a few times a year. She deserves…"

"What, you?" Seifer sneered, glaring down at Squall. "She deserves the hero, the leader, the pretty boy who never gave her the time of day?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Squall countered. "She deserves someone who loves her enough to stay."

Seifer had a retort at the back of his throat but it never emerged. He'd honestly been thinking the same thing himself. Had been for the last year. He'd wondered every time he'd snuck into her office or apartment if he should make that night his last, so she could move on and find someone worthy of the Commander of a Garden.

"Maybe she's using me as much as I'm using her," Seifer finally spit out. "We both know what this is, after all. I'm dead. It's not like I could marry her or be her kept boyfriend or anything."

As Squall took a seat behind his desk, he leveled his storm blue eyes across the expanse to Seifer. "If you ever really do decide to use her, Almasy, I'll kill you myself."

Seifer had no words. It surprised him that Squall of all people thought that he and Quistis had anything but sex on occasion or that he'd even given it any thought.

"Take your credentials and get out," Squall finally said, breaking the dark silence between the two men. "We've altered your appearance on your ID card so make sure you look like that when we disembark tomorrow morning."

Seifer looked down at his new ID and other required SeeD gear, scowling at the dark brown hair he needed to acquire and minor adjustments to his face. Kadowaki could probably make the necessary additions tomorrow morning before he needed to report for duty, plumping up his face a little and rounding it out.

"SeeD Serb "Mad Dog" Reckt reporting for duty."


	4. Before the Storm

Author Notes: This was a difficult chapter to write just because it involved so many revolving pieces. I wanted to give a little Seifer/Quistis action as well as a peek into the lives of Rinoa and Squall while still pushing the story forward. I can't say I'm entirely happy with it but at least it's still pushing me forward. I hope that there are people out there enjoying this story as I've been having a lot of fun writing it so far. If you are liking it, I hope you'll leave a review.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me!

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 4: Before the Storm

From the Garden drop point, it was a three-mile hike over rocky terrain that vehicles couldn't handle. The only upside was the train of chocobos to carry their gear. Cadets would be dragged over this long-forgotten path the next day as a part of their exam to test endurance. Today was for the SeeDs of all three Gardens to investigate the mysterious murders that had taken place amidst the ancient ruins and artifacts of a long dead civilization. Today was also the first time that all six of Balamb's famed heroes had been together in five years. And it was a long, uncomfortable hike.

Selphie, Zell and Quistis all walked together at the front of the line with an irritable "Serb Reckt" trudging along behind them, the low rumble of his cursing following behind him. At the back of the line sulked Irvine with a sympathetic Rinoa trying to lift his spirits with stories and jokes. Though she was not officially a SeeD, she was there as the representation for all sorceresses and she had refused to leave Squall's side for the duration of the mission. They had argued over it for over an hour before Cid had finally interjected and said that it would be no harm to let her go.

In between the two groups huddled the rest of the SeeDs who had been picked for this mission, Galbadian, Trabian and Balamb reluctantly mixing together.

It was just before mid-day when they finally trudged their way into the small tent city that had formed around the ruins, housing everyone that had a place on the dig site. Squall pushed his way forward, signaling Xu, Quistis, Selphie and Harris to join him at the head. Refusing to be left behind, Seifer nudged his way behind Quistis, trying to make his tall, broad frame look incognito.

Glancing over her shoulder, Quistis rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to Squall. All the commanding officers wore their respective SeeD uniforms, though they had far more comfortable clothing packed away for once they were actually down on the job.

"Commander Leonheart, I'm Strife Errol, the head of this project," a middle aged, averaged heighted man greeted from the group of observers that had gathered to watch the SeeD group come in.

"Doctor Errol," Squall replied with a curt nod of his head. "My Lieutenant, Xu Estral. Commander Quistis Trepe of Galbadia. Commander Gavin Harris of Trabia and his Lieutenant, Selphie Tilmitt. You can meet the rest of our group later, if you so desire."

Errol's eyes darted from one face to the next as Squall made his introductions, gaze lingering over Quistis and Selphie a hair too long before continuing on.

"I thought I had heard a rumor that the sorceress Rinoa Heartilly was traveling in your group," Errol simpered, looking at Squall. "I would so desperately like to meet her if the rumors are true. The sorceresses are said to be the embodiments of the Old Gods, their chosen Daughters to be worshipped and adored. To meet one of the last links would be… there would be no words."

Squall's face tightened as he swallowed his instinctive anger and protectiveness. Rinoa was special. Unique. It made sense that someone who had dedicated his life to ancient Centra would want to meet her and try to learn more about the mysterious sorceress power.

"She is a part of the group but currently helping the others get settled in," Squall said stiffly. "I'm sure she will join us in a bit and you'll have a chance to meet her then. For now, perhaps you could show us the murder location. We need to conduct a preliminary investigation before we can give the all clear to allow our cadets to join us."

From several steps back, Quistis watched Errol intently as Squall began his questioning about the murder. The older man didn't even bat an eye as he lifted his face to the sky, cheeks quivering.

"It's such a shame about Doctor Brown and Doctor Stephens," Errol lamented. "They were such dedicated members of my team. It must have been why they were at the dig site that night. I can only assume they were trying to do more research and interrupted some sort of trespasser. You know how these tomb raiding idiots are." His arms waved about in anger. "Always trying to sneak in and steal anything that might be of value. I'm sure that Chris and Eva tried to fight them off and in the struggle, the rocks collapsed."

"Yes, well we'd still like to see the location ourselves just to be certain," Squall replied. "Were there any objects missing the next morning when the bodies were discovered?"

"We hadn't finished cataloging so it's impossible to say. Nothing looked out of place but…" Errol shrugged. "There were so many items in the altar room that it's hard to say." 'He smiled. "It's been amazing to discover so much of the Centran way of life and culture. It's all so breathtaking."

No one had anything to say as they trudged through the camp and in to a small crack open in the rockface. "We've avoided opening this any wider than necessary to help protect the artifacts from the elements," Errol explained as he wiggled his body through.

As soon as Quistis slipped through the rock, a feat far easier for her and her comrades than the larger and softer archeologist, she looked up and gasped.

In the large room that spanned through at least half of the mountainside were glowing, iridescent rocks that reminded her of the Lunatic Pandora. The lights set up in the room by the dig team sent rainbows shooting through the room from the crystals that dotted the ceiling in an homage to the night sky.

"The Ancient Centran people worshipped the night sky as a part of their religion to their Old Gods," Errol explained coming up next to Quistis. He found her to be an extraordinarily attractive young woman who possessed an inner power that he couldn't explain. It felt familiar and dangerous to him.

"What was this place?" Quistis asked, her expression full of marvel.

"We believe that it was a burial site for someone or perhaps a group of people of great importance," Errol replied. He pointed to the back of the room where two small pools of water waited. At the center of each pool was the statue of a woman, arms lifted to the sky in supplication. Though the paint had long faded, the clever eye could make out the gowns of the women wore were of faded crimson and sapphire blue.

Intrigued, Quistis drew closer. The faces of the women had long faded and were now only vaguely face shaped but something about them seemed familiar. "Who are they?" she asked.

"It is my believe that they were the first sorceresses, daughters of the Old Gods," Errol said. "Two sisters who honored the Old Gods and stood as their champions when Hyne the Magician first took shape. It is said that-"

"-Thank you, Doctor Errol," Squall cut through, giving Quistis a stern look. "We should really look at the murder site instead of getting a history lesson."

Quistis flushed, embarrassed that she'd let her own curiosity get the better of their limited time.

"Gosh, Quisty," Selphie said as she wandered up next to her. "That woman looks an awful lot like you," she mused. Her finger twirled absently through her brown locks as she continued walking, not a care in the world.

Quistis just rolled her eyes. "It's an old statue, Selphie. It could look like anyway."

Following a small tunnel to a much smaller room, the group could see where the deaths had occurred. Large piles of rocks were thrown to the side in front of a large door that spanned almost an entire wall.

"We moved the bodies when we discovered them that morning," Errol explained. "But I had someone take some photographs, so you could see the positioning. We just didn't think it was respectful to leave them here to rot."

Quistis moved over to the rocks and squatted down by the indentation of where two bodies may have laid. "What's this door?" she asked, looking upward. "Where did all of the rocks even come from?"

"The door wasn't there when I had left," Errol said firmly. "We can only guess that the rocks were the wall hiding the door and somehow Chris or Eva managed to crack it loose during the struggle."

Seifer came over and knelt next to Quistis, nudging a rock covered in blood over. "Find anything?" he muttered quietly.

Quistis just shook her head and nudged another rock, seeing a blood pattern on it as well. "Odd, I don't see much blood on the ground, but the rocks are covered in it," she mused. "We should pull out all of the rocks that have blood on it. See what we can make of it. The blood spatter can probably tell us something of how they were killed."

As Quistis turned to wave the rest of them over, Seifer met eyes with Errol, glaring at the archeologist.

Errol started forward as he started to see them messing with the rocks but was cut short by Squall. "Thank you, Doctor Errol. If we need anything else, we'll just shout." His tone left no room for discussion.

Defeated, Errol gave a nod and a tight smile. "Try not to break anything," he said. "All of these items are of extreme value both monetarily and historically." But he finally departed, leaving them all in peace.

"What are you playing with, Quisty?" Selphie asked curiously as she squatted and helped move the rocks.

Quistis just shook her head as she started to place the rocks in a pattern that might make some sort of sense, essentially rebuilding the wall on the ground. It took them the better part of three hours to make even some sort of shape with the blood. And when she saw it, the blood in her veins began to sing.

The sun had just fallen behind the mountainous peaks, leaving behind just streaks of seductive reds and creamy oranges when the SeeD party had finally managed to struggle back to their camp site and collapse in front of the waiting fires. They had been provided their own corner of the tent city to call their own and even without the cadets that would soon be joining them, they made for a fair size group. Each Garden had provided six SeeDs in addition to their commanding officers and Seifer and Rinoa. Tents had been coordinated so the command team was in the center with the SeeD tents surrounding theirs, Trabia in between Galbadia and Balamb.

Longing for a bath after sweating in a musty, dusty room all day, Quistis took the half mile hike to the watering hole that several of the assistants on the site had told her about and welcomed her to use. She wanted some peace and solitude to mull over what she had seen that day and to try and get the bloody symbol the rocks had created out of her head.

Quistis could still feel the way her body had pulsed, and her blood burned when she had stared down at the crescent moon within a blazing sun. Something about it spoke to her, called her toward something she couldn't fully understand. A frown creased her brow as she tried to think back to if she'd ever seen the symbol before.

 _This is a special symbol, Quisty. It's who we are._

The voice that flashed through her mind was husky and feminine, a gentle voice that reminded her of love and warm chocolate chip cookies. But it was gone as soon as it had touched her. She could also remember two arms wrapped around her small toddler self as they stared down at a book together, long slender fingers brushing over the crescent moon.

Shaking her head, Quistis drove herself on, following the instructions of the camp aids straight to a small watering hole nestled against the base of the mountains. To her surprise and delight, the water steamed from an underground hot spring. She threw her clothes off with delight and plunged in to the hot water, feeling it scald against her pale skin.

Quistis sank down to her neck in the hot pool, sighing with relief as the heat began to seep into her aching muscles, offering a gentle balm from the pain.

"Room for one more?" a voice mocked above her.

Quistis half shrieked, trying to cover her nakedness and make a wild grasp for the whip she'd so carelessly dropped a few feet from the pool's edge. Looking up, she saw Seifer perched on a rock above her head, grinning down at her.

Lifting her chin slightly to hide her wounded pride, Quistis glared. "Were you following me?" she demanded.

"Seemed like the thing to do when I heard you mumbling bath to yourself repeatedly," Seifer replied cheekily as he dropped down, bending to pick up the handle of Save the Queen and place it in her hand. "You gonna strangle me?"

"There certainly are times when I'd like to," Quistis replied tartly, but relaxed as she touched the whip's handle. With smooth movements, she coiled the weapon and placed it within easy reach as she settled back down into the hot water, eliciting a long, sedate sigh.

Seifer shed his own clothes quickly, his eyes never leaving the barely visible lines of her body hidden beneath the ripples of the water. As he splashed into the water, Quistis protested wildly as the hot water splashed every which direction but her words were silenced by his lips hot on her own.

It was a short kiss, a mere greeting between the two but it was enough for Quistis to melt against Seifer's muscular body. Together, the two floated in the small pool, his arms wrapped securely around her waist, cradling her close. They were never able to share many moments together and the tenderness of this slice of time was one they both cherished, even if neither of them would admit it.

With her back pressed in to Seifer's deliciously warm body, Quistis' eyes closed, and she just floated, lost in the dream that he would keep her safe from harm and she didn't need anything else. These were the moments when she could pretend that she hadn't been trained from childhood to be a warrior, or that she hadn't been made her first kill before she'd experienced her first awkward kiss. It was in these stolen minutes that she could just be a girl with a boy.

 _Jade green eyes faced off against icy blue in yet another match. But this one was different. This time Quistis could feel small men jumping up and down on a trampoline within the pit of her stomach. It had been four months, but she could still remember the searing hot pressure of his lips on hers._

 _It was yet another late-night rendezvous to provide new supplies for Seifer's small organization. From the reports she'd received from Squall, Quistis had to admit that the Black SeeD were exactly what they needed in this tumultuous day and age. There were people who believed Rinoa should be locked away behind an anti-mag field for the rest of her life and then sealed away before she could pass on her sorceress power at death, just to prevent the rise of another Ultimecia. Others were more interested in just studying her to try and root out the source of her powers, to either suppress or manipulate them for personal gain. For the past few months, Seifer and his team had been chipping away at the opposition, trying to track down names and determine who was funding the organization._

" _Supplies are in the closet," Quistis finally said, jerking her head to where she'd retrieved the bags last time. "Take what you need and get out."_

 _Seifer lifted one brow as he stared down at her, arms crossed loosely over his broad chest. He looked at ease, the long black trench coat he wore so like the trademark grey that Quistis still expected to see him in. "Thought you'd like to sit down to a little tea party instead, Commander," he replied arrogantly. "Then we could gossip about what's been happening the last few months and braid each other's hair."_

 _Quistis snorted. "I don't think you have enough hair to braid, Seifer," she replied. "Unless you have an unfortunate back hair situation that no one knows about. But if there's nothing to report, you should just take your supplies and go. The longer you're here, the higher the chance that someone will find you here. I'd rather not risk my career over you."_

 _Seifer stared down at Quistis. Even though she was tall for a woman, he still towered over her, making it easy to take a few long strides to get toe to toe with her. She flinched back, trying to pull out of his personal space but his arm had snaked its way around her waist, a hot weight around her body._

" _Seifer…" the words forming in Quistis' throat were angry demands for him to release her immediately, she was a Commanding officer of Galbadia Garden and would not be touched without permission. But her thoughts went back to the brief kiss they had shared and the way her body was faintly trembling from the close proximity._

 _His other hand gently brushed away the dangling wisps of blonde away from her cheek and she could smell the oil soap he used to keep his grendel leather gloves soft and supple._

" _What do you want?" Quistis quietly demanded but it lacked her usual strength. "You've never shown me the slightest inclination or courtesy. What do you want from me now? Is this all just a game to you? I'm not some weak, helpless girl that will just fall into your waiting arms and swoon. I'm no Rinoa."_

 _Surprise darted across Seifer's face before he chuckled deep in his throat. "Of course you're not Rinoa," he replied. "Why would I want you to be? You're Quistis. Beautiful, stubborn, pain in the ass Quistis." It was enough for him. His arm tightened more, and she was pulled into a dark, hot kiss that scorched through her body and she never wanted it to end._

The cot in their tent was lumpy. It was probably because someone had pushed two single cots together and lashed the legs tight so by the time they woke up in the morning, there wouldn't be a hole in the center. Even with two sleeping bags piled on top, it was still lumpy and uncomfortable, which she complained about.

"You could have stayed at Garden you know," Squall said with patience that he reserved solely for her as he slowly ran a rag over the iridescent blue of Lionheart's blade. "Our bed is much more comfortable, and you wouldn't have to worry about waking up with bugs in your sleeping bag."

Rinoa was sprawled out across both cots and despite her complaints of discomfort, she had created quite the cocoon of blankets and their few meager pillows for a comfortable spot for herself. "I… It needed me to come here," she replied, her dark brows angling up to a peak together.

Squall turned back to her at the sound of her voice, Lionheart getting left forgotten on the ground as he immediately came to kneel at her side. "Do you feel it stirring?" he asked worriedly. "It's been so quiet for so long, I had hoped that it would leave you in peace."

The dark-haired sorceress clasped both of Squall's hands in her own, resting her pale cheek against his warm hands. "I've felt its driving need to be here. I was hoping that if I came, it would leave me alone again but it's only getting stronger." Her voice shook with her own fears and trepidations. "Don't let it get me, Squall."

Squall managed to free one of his hands and pull her close to him. "Never," he vowed. "Just hang on to my voice, Rinoa. As long as you can hear my voice, you can fight it taking a hold of you."

Rinoa looked up at him with a watery smile, burying her face into his chest and clinging to his support. For five years she had kept the monster inside of her at bay. She'd been happy to let the sorceress sleep, rarely using her powers and if she ever went out into the field with Squall, she relied on her hard-earned skills rather than the other entity inside of her.

She understood now why most sorceresses had taken a knight. Squall was the only thing that kept her sane some nights, letting the sound of his voice protect her from the dark talons that clawed out of her dreams. A knight and sorceress shared a bond, helping to keep her whole and embrace her humanity. Sorceresses like Adel and Ultimecia had never had true knights. Seifer had been Edea's knight, the bond of a mother and her child, but it had not been enough to let the entity take her, open her up to the evil influences of Ultimecia. And because of that, Seifer's own bond had been corrupted to the point that Ultimecia could control him without him being able to ease and soothe her. It was no wonder that he'd been so battered and bruised by the time his knighthood had come to an end.

Her slender fingers reached out, gently stroking through Squall's soft hair. "Don't ever leave me," she whispered. "I'd be completely lost without you…"

The two just sat and held each other for a long time, listening to the beating of each other's hearts interwoven with the softness of their breathing. They rarely had moments such as these to themselves with so much going on in Garden with Squall's Commander responsibilities. In the early days, it had been very lonely for Rinoa before she'd made the decision to take the SeeD exam followed by applying for an Instructor's license. Though she never went out into the field for fear of her sorceress powers awakening in an extreme situation, she'd enjoyed the teaching responsibilities and her natural charisma had charmed her students.

Night had stretched heavily upon both sorceress and knight before sleep took them, two bodies tangled in each other's arms and amidst the sleeping bags that they had been provided. The moon had fully risen and was shining brightly amidst the stars when something snapped Rinoa out of her sleep.

She startled herself awake, snapping upright in bed, dark brown eyes wide as she looked wildly about the tent. She could have sworn that something was in there with them. Something dark and grasping at her soul. Looking down, Rinoa could see Squall still sleeping peacefully, one hand unconsciously reaching out and brushing against her white inner thigh.

 _Welcome, Red One…_

The voice whispered through the tent, leaving cold streaks across Rinoa's skin.

"No…" Rinoa whispered, her hands fisting against her eyes as she tried to hold back tears. She'd had too many nightmares with that voice at its center.

 _Free me from the darkness… let me love you for all eternity..._

"No, no, no…" Rinoa chanted over and over again. She could feel icy tendrils in the corners of her mind, trying to take control. The thing inside of her reacted to the voice, flaring up for the first time in years, screaming inside to accept what the voice was offering.

"NO!" she screamed, grasping at her head, trembling fingers pulling franticly at her hair. "No, get out, get out, get out."

Her despair and pain immediately awoke Squall her wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Rinoa? Rin, listen to my voice. Follow it back to the light. Don't leave me now, Rinoa."

His voice was a soothing balm that pushed back the voice in her head and quieted the clawing beast that had made a home inside of her.

"Don't let it take me, Squall…" Rinoa whispered, her cheeks wet with her tears.

Several tents down, Quistis awoke to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. She looked around her spacious tent, grateful that her position meant she didn't need a roommate. Next to her, nestled down into the sleeping bag was Seifer who she knew would need to leave in the next few hours to avoid having anyone question why an unimportant SeeD was sleeping with a Commander.

Her fingers nestled down in his golden mane as she looked over him with fondness. They'd been hooking up for a few years now whenever they had the chance and in the past year, it had felt like things had slowly been changing. She looked forward to his visits and it felt like he might be requesting supplies more often than was strictly necessary just to have an excuse to come to her.

Quistis bit her lower lip as her eyes glided over his strong nose and chiseled jaw. He was a handsome man and their time together in bed was exquisite, but she had been wondering lately if it was enough. Though she had been heavily career oriented for the longest time, she was now reaching an age where she wondered if there was more to life than just her ambition. SeeDs rarely married or had families, mostly because they needed to be able to face whatever mission they were handed and not hold back for fear of leaving someone behind. But it was different now for her. She was a Commander, a position where she rarely went into the field. It made sense for her to settle down and have a family if she so wanted. She had attained one of the highest ranks possible for a SeeD and made enough money to support a family. But could she do such a thing with Seifer Almasy? Would he even want to?

Shaking her head, she settled back in, pressing closer to the man in her bed. She wouldn't think about it now. She'd focus on this crazier by the moment mystery and when it was over… then maybe they could sit down and talk if this was something they wanted to consider in more detail. Would he be willing to come out of the shadows? Would she be willing to risk it all for a man many still condemned as a traitor against humanity for siding with a sorceress?

Her hand reached out, resting against his strong bicep, feeling the way his skin tingled against hers and sighed. Quistis knew that any real relationship she pursued wouldn't be easy but who knew… perhaps it would be worth it. She felt more comfortable with him than any other man.

 _Begone, Blue One_.

The voice was angry, filled with hatred. It pulled Quistis back out of her half sleep and made her look around wildly.

Beside her, Seifer stirred, his arms wrapping more securely around her body.

"Go… sleep..." he muttered.

 _Not welcome here, betrayer._

"Seifer" Quistis hissed. "Did you hear that?" She jabbed him in the arm with her elbow.

"Sleeeeep…" he whimpered in response.

Quistis sighed. He had never been easy to wake up once he was down, but it didn't stop her from trying. The voice had sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it and it scared her.

"SEIFER!"

"Hghnrt… whaaa?" Seifer muttered, finally opening his eyes and giving Quistis a dark look.

Before she could hear anything else, a commotion started a few tents down as a woman started screaming.

Neither Seifer nor Quistis hesitated. Both leapt out of bed, sweeping up their weapons as they flung their tent flap open and strode through the camp. The damp earth was cold against their feet, but it did not slow them.

One final cry honed them in to Squall's tent and without knocking, Quistis ripped the flap back and swung inside.

"Squall! Rinoa!" she half shouted.

Quistis stopped short when she saw Rinoa weeping in Squall's arms, the knight looking confused and angry. His blue eyes blazed up at his Galbadian counterpart but managed to swallow sharp words.

"It was just a bad dream," Squall said tersely. "I'm sorry if she woke anyone up."

Quistis looked down at the girl propped up in Squall's arms, mumbling "Don't let it take me…" over and over again and nodded.

"Maybe you should take her back to Garden tomorrow," she suggested quietly before leaving. She could feel in her bones that Rinoa's presence was a dangerous thing at this moment.

Squall watched Quistis go, tightening his hold on Rinoa at her suggestion. Though it would probably be better for the mission to send her back to Garden, he knew that if they were separated, Rinoa might not be able to handle whatever it was she was going through without his presence. So, which came first to him?

He stroked her soft black hair, whispering gentle reassurances over and over again, just so she could hear his voice. It was working and the girl he loved was slowly quieting down. Gently, he tilted her head back to consider her beautiful face and shuddered.

The eyes that stared back at him were as yellow as the wild daffodils in the field of flowers they loved so much. Her expression was not that of Rinoa but much colder, crueler, sculpted from pale marble.

But her voice was still her own. "Please, just kill me…" she whispered.


	5. Heartbreak

Author's Notes: I'm personally excited because I am starting to really get into the meat of my story, so if you felt I glossed over a few things, I do apologize! So much set up is driving me crazy. I hope people are still enjoying!

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never will.

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 5: Heartbreak

The morning broke lazily over the mountains and with it came rain. Selphie snuggled further down into her sleeping bag, her toes wiggling at the very bottom of the insulated and soft fabric tube, smelling the hints of wild basil and lavender in the air. There were probably fresh herb plants dotting the mountainside, small pieces of life clinging to an otherwise uninhabitable locale. Five years ago, she probably would have gone running across the mountain in her bare feet searching for the plants, plucking herbs for dinner and picking flowers for decoration. But time had a way of changing people, and not always for the better.

She turned in her bag to look at the curled up form in the cot opposite hers. Wild blond peaks were all that stuck out from the top of the sleeping bag. The rest of him was huddled down as much as possible. He'd never really liked the cold and was a constant blanket hog when they actually spent nights together.

Selphie sighed and stared up at the roof of their shared tent. Five years ago she had traveled to Trabia because she felt honor bound to help her former home rebuild itself. Plus, it had been an amazing opportunity that she hadn't really wanted to turn down. Even though so much time had passed, it still made her heart ache a little to think of how Irvine had rejected her offer to go with her.

" _Selphie, what's wrong?"_

 _Selphie tried to look up from where she'd been wrestling with her cardkey to get back into her room, viciously swiping at her eyes when they threatened to spill the tears that were building up. In front of her stood a bouncing Zell, a little white paper bag held in his hands. He'd clearly just come from the cafeteria where the workers often slipped him extra hotdogs to take back to his room._

" _It's n-n-nothing, Zell," she replied shakily. "Was justa fight with Irvy."_

 _Zell frowned. The two had been dancing around each other for ages it felt like and had never been able to find a way to be together. He didn't doubt either of their feelings, but deep down, he really didn't think that Irvine was good enough for Selphie._

" _Didja wanna talk about it, Selph?" Zell asked. "My Ma just sent me a care package so I've got all kinds of snacks and goodies if you want something to eat."_

 _Selphie offered a watery smile. Food had always been Zell's solution to a problem and the fact that he was willing to share touched her heart. He was usually very protective of anything that his mother had sent him._

" _Thanks Zell…"_

 _Zell awkwardly led Selphie down the hallway and around the corner to the high ranking male SeeD rooms, swiping his cardkey to enter his room. He immediately went and dropped his hotdogs in the little mini fridge that he'd smuggled in._

 _As Selphie stood near the doorway, she absently rubbed her foot against the back of her knee and looked around the room. It was surpirsingly neat with his bed made and all of his Combat King Magazines stacked in the corner. She'd expected refuse and had instead found the typical neatness of a soldier._

" _Sit down, Selph," Zell called. "You want some tea or something? Ma sent a can of dried leaves. Said it was better for me than all that coffee."_

 _Selphie laughed slightly, brushing away the last of her tears with her arm as she settled into the small couch that was a part of the living area. "Maybe just some water," she replied. She looked down at the coffee table in front of her and picked up a picture of the whole group right after the Ultimecia event. All of them were in Garden's ballroom. Cid and Edea beamed like the proud parents they were. Squall and Rinoa only had smiles for each other instead of the camera. Zell and his girlfriend Cerra were laughing at he waved a hot dog at the camera. And then her and Irvine. He had one arm draped around her, his cowboy hat perched on her head. They were all so full of hope and joy._

 _As Zell padded over to her with a bottle of water and an armful of goodies, she set the picture back on the coffee table. "How's Cerra doing? I haven't seen her in forever," she asked._

 _Zell looked uncomfortable, handing Selphie the bottle and dropping everything else on the table. "Oh, uh… we broke up a few weeks ago," he replied. "Said something about needing space. Wanted to explore the world more before settling down or something."_

" _Why didn't you tell any of us?" Selphie asked, aghast that she hadn't realized. "I'm so sorry, Zell…"_

 _Zell just shook his head. "Nah, whatdya expect. She was way too good for me. She wanted to go places, see things and make a difference in the world. And boy was she smart." He jabbed a finger at himself, a sad mockery of his normal cocky stance. "I'm justa dumb oaf who hits things and somehow lucked his way into the group that saved the world."_

 _Selphie felt a wave of sympathy and further down, understanding and agreement. She'd been wondering about her own self worth a lot lately, especially in light of everything going on with Irvine. She wasn't beautiful or strong or sexy in the least bit. She loved throwing parties, fuzzy, warm things and had an eye for explosives. Impulsively, she reached out and grabbed Zell's hand, squeezing it tightly._

" _I think you're great," she said firmly. "You're so smart and funny and you're always the life of the party. Plus, you're one of the strongest men I know. Your strength could knock even Squall out of the water."_

 _Zell smiled slightly, returning her squeeze. "What happened with you and Irvine?" he asked._

 _Selphie looked away, biting at her lower lip. "I… I went to tell him that I was offered a position in Trabia," she explained slowly. "Lieutenant. I wanted him to come with me. Maybe we could give it a real shot, y'know?" She shook her head, her fingers twisting against his, an anxious habit that likely hurt his hand as much as it relieved her stress. "He just… he didn't care. It didn't phase him one bit that I was gonna leave."_

" _Then he's an idiot," Zell replied immediately. "You're one of the most amazing people I know, Selph. You, Rinoa and Quistis are the three best ladies I know and I'm so lucky that I've got any of you in my life, let alone all of you. If he can't appreciate what a good thing he's got then you don't need him."_

 _Tears started welling up in Selphie's eyes again. "Thank you, Zell," she whispered. "It's just… it's just that I love him." She'd never actually spoken the words out loud and she said them now in a rush, trying to force them from her body so perhaps she wouldn't have to feel it anymore. "I love him…"_

 _Alarmed, Zell moved closer, wrapping his arms around Selphie as she started to cry, letting her sob into his shoulder. "I know, Selph… I know," he whispered. All of the pain and regret he'd been feeling over Cerra was starting to come down on him. "Maybe people like us are just meant to love 'em then lose 'em," he mused. "Maybe we aren't meant to put our hearts on the line cause we're just gonna get beat up from it."_

 _Selphie looked up at Zell, her friend, her childhood playmate, her team member. She saw so many faces to him, of them laughing as they traveled all over the world together, facing down enemies together to building sand castles and him chasing her with ridiculous masks until he hurt himself. All of those memories came to her and were gone again as she looked up into his steady brown eyes full of love and warmth. She wasn't quite sure when she leaned in until their lips brushed against each other._

 _She immediately jumped back. "I'm sorry, Zell! I shouldn't take advantage of our friendship like this. We're both hurting and sad."_

 _Zell shook his head. The kiss had shocked him but it had felt kind of right at the same time. For once in his life, he didn't say too much but instead just pulled Selphie close and kissed her in return._

 _Neither of them thought much about it when he carried her from the couch to his lonely twin bed and they began undressing each other. Neither of them thought much about it when they sank down into sensual pleasure that left them both gasping for air and they were both holding back tears and names of people far from the bed. And neither of them thought much about it when they let sleep take them far away from the betrayal they had just signed in blood with Zell's arm resting heavily over Selphie's stomach._

Selphie blinked back tears. The next day, Irvine had come to Zell looking for some sort of advice and had found her still sleep tousled and half naked in his bed. All three had just stared at each other until Irvine mumbled an excuse and left. She had seen the look of shock in his eyes and the pain that was forming but there was nothing she could do. He'd made it clear that he didn't want her and didn't see her the same way that she saw him.

Zell had made the decision to go with her to Trabia, not only to try and get away from Irvine and the hot anger that had scorched both of them anytime the two men were in the same room, but to maybe give a relationship with her a shot. They'd been together for almost five years now and while they were comfortable together, she knew that she wasn't in love with him and he wasn't with her.

Selphie rolled onto her back and sighed. Suddenly finding herself on a mission with Irvine again was hard to accept. Despite everything, she did love Zell in her own way and she didn't want him to suffer any worse than he had to. They had made a life together in Trabia that had been filled with happiness, friendship and laughter. Just not true love.

"Selly?" Zell mumbled as he flopped over. "Whatimeizit?"

Selphie couldn't help but smile over at the man. "It's just after six, Zell," she replied. "It's raining so we'll need to give ourselves extra time this morning so we don't get wet."

Zell looked over at his partner, a silly grin appearing. "You don't wanna get wet?" he asked ominously. "What's life without a little wet in it?"

"Oh no you don't," Selphie protested. "You don't touch my fuzzy sleeping bag and leave me alone!"

Zell sprang off his cot and scooped Selphie up, sleeping bag and all and threw her over his shoulder. Careless of the fact that he was only in a white t-shirt and boxeres, he twirled her around the tent a few times before springing out its front, spinning her the whole way.

"Dance in the rain, Selly, dance!" Zell shouted loud enough for half the camp to hear. "DANCE!"

Selphie couldn't stop laughing as she tried to poke and prod at his shoulder to get down, aware that she was only wearing a thin tank top and shorts. "Zeeeeeelllllll, put me down! Putmedownputmedownputmedown!"

Zell ignored her cries, stamping his feet and dancing around. He loved the sound of her laughter and to see her bright green eyes lit up with joy. It was something that he didn't get to see often enough.

The two put a stop to their antics when they heard someone clearing their throat. Zell turned to see Irvine staring passively at the both of them. He merely twitched his cowboy hat in their direction before striding by them.

"Irvy," Selphie called, the familiar and beloved name slipping out of her mouth.

Zell immediately set Selphie down, letting her cross the cold campsite to him. He knew that in the end, he couldn't make Selphie happy in the same way that Irvine might. They didn't share that kind of passionate love but he knew that they did love each other. They could protect one another and were each other's best friend. It was a life that he would have been happy to have if only Fate had been so kind. He couldn't watch what was happening so he turned and returned to their tent.

"Irvy…" Selphie said again, feeling Zell walk away to give them privacy. She had never loved him more than in that moment. He knew how her heart still bled when she thought about Irvine and had never really gotten over him.

"What is it, Selphie?" Irvine asked brusquely. He could barely keep his meager breakfast down having watched the two of them laughing with each other.

"I just… I wanted to say that I've missed you," Selphie said in a rush. "It's good to see you again."

Irvine's eyes closed briefly to hide his pain. "It's good to see you again too." He took a deep breath. "But now isn't a great time. I need to talk to Squall about a few things before the day starts."

Selphie gave a wobbly smile. "Right, of course. I hope we can talk before the mission ends, Irvy... "

Irvine just nodded but he turned away, his heart full of the hope he hadn't let himself feel in years. Maybe, just maybe, he could fix his stupid mistakes and they could be together. But was he really the sort of man to steal the girl away from a friend? Or even a former friend?

His heart full of hope, he whistled as he walked toward Squall's tent, calling his friend's name a few times to try and wake him up before he , getting no response, Irvine opened up the tent and he promptly lost his stomach right there on the ground.

Blood was splattered all through the tent, over the cots and across the shredded sleeping bags. There was no sign of a body but there had been violence here, right under their very noses, and to their leader and friend. And all he could think to do was shout, "SELPHIE!"

Squall's body was found at the base of the altar in the room that had already seen so much violence. Next to him, his throat slit, was Strife Errol. Both men showed signs of putting up a fight but it apparently had done no good. There was no sign of Rinoa.

"Squall… Squall!" Quistis shouted as she came running into the room, already digging in to her pocket for phoenix down, throwing the feathers over her friend to try and revive him. The golden light that erupted from the feathers did nothing. She tried a phoenix pinion next to no response.

"No, no, no," Quistis whispered, kneeling down next to her friend, tears running down her cheeks.

Irvine had already sent out the alarm, ordering all SeeDs to identify any and all routes out of the dig site and shutting them down. He now stood stiffly behind Quistis, his hand on Selphie's shoulder who was openly weeping. Zell stood on her other side, holding her hand and looking over at Irvine. Both men nodded to each other in grudging understanding. There had been broken friendships but now with the thought that the leader of their family could be dead, it was time to set those things aside.

Quistis had tried every item that she had in stock but nothing had worked. Her last option was to try magic but it was never as effective as an item applied directly to skin. But she would do anything to at least get his heart pumping again.

"Full-life," she intoned quietly, her hand pressed gently against Squall's chest, her fingers flared out. She threw everything she had behind the spell, wishing harder than she had ever wished for anything else for it to work.

The spell glowed softly beneath her hand before dimming back down. In that instant, Quistis jumped as she swore she felt a faint heartbeat. She she pressed her fingers for a pulse, there was nothing.

Gritting her teeth, Quistis cast the spell again, "Full-life." This time, she was certain she had felt a heartbeat.

"Quick! Someone cast Curaga while I cast Life," Quistis gasped, taking in deep breath as she could already feel a faint fatigue tugging at her.

Seifer knelt down beside her, pulling off his glove and rested a hand next to hers. At her nod, he pulled together the magic he had stocked, casting Curaga as she cast yet another Full-life. It took four more injections of the double cast before Squall's heart kept beating, even at its irregular pace.

An emergency medic was roused from the main tent city to keep Squall alive until help could arrive from Garden. Errol's body had been wrapped and moved away. It would be transferred to Garden as well for a thorough autopsy but no one lamented overly much the passing of the Doctor. He had grown strange and reserved in the recent days and no one quite knew what to feel.

Every free hand was gathered together to help search the area for Rinoa while Quistis led a team of SeeDs through the small altar room, searching for any clues as to what may have happened. It wasn't until she did a close examination of the back wall that she realized that the seal on the large doors had been cracked. Someone had been in there. With her breath held, Quistis inched forward, trying to shoulder the weight of the door back to no effect.

Scowling, Quistis called over five additional SeeDs to aid in her struggle to open the door. With all of them throwing their strength against it, she felt it shift slight.

"Push!" she shouted, feeling her muscles bunch and coil as she redoubled her efforts.

The group shoved and pushed and swore as they kept pushing until the door gave way, opening a few feet to throw light in to its shadowy innards.

"Holy shit," Zell muttered from his position where he'd fallen on the floor. Sitting on his knees, he stared in at the large stacks of books and scrolls in addition to a sundry of other items. In the center of this offshoot room, which was perhaps only the size of half of the altar room, stood a heavy sarcophagus, its lid cracked and pushed to the floor.

From behind them, they heard a gasp. "Oh by all the Gods, what have you done?"

From the safety of the SeeD encampment, the interrogation began. Quistis, Harris, Xu and Selphie all took the lead as the highest ranking members of SeeD present while Irvine, Zell and Seifer all pushed and bullied their ways in to being present.

The interloper introduced herself as Quara, one of the few remaining nomadic tribes of people who inhabited the Trabian wildands. Dressed in shifting grey robes that would make for excellent camoflauge on glistening white fields of Trabia and removing the faded blue scarf from around her head, she revealed herself as an older, still extremely attractive woman. A long rope of faded gold hair dangled over her shoulder and complimented the dusky complexion and clear azure eyes.

"Can you please explain your presence here, Quara?" Quistis began sternly. She stood before the woman seated comfortably on the ground with her legs tucked beneath her. The two women were night and day when compared to each other. Quara was soft and gentle with an air of mysticism surrounding her. Quistis was very much a soldier in black cargo pants, thin white t-shirt, golden whip at her side and lithe musclular frame. The streaks of blood on her shirt did nothing to ease her dark, stoic appearance.

"I left my homeland to come here when we first heard that foreigners were digging here," Quara replied softly. "I unfortunately arrived much too late. Have the chosen two arisen yet?"

Quistis scowled. "Why shouldn't anyone dig here?" she interjected.

"This is a sacred place," Quara said. "It was a hidden place. It was meant to both honor and hide what should never be found again."

"If something was so important, why was there no guard or sign to tell these people not to dig?" Xu inserted into the conversation.

Quara met each and every one of their gazes with amusement. "Would you hide a dangerous weapon and mark a sign, 'Please do not open because this is dangerous and bad'?"

"What was so dangerous that we shouldn't have dug here?" Harris asked. He stood to the side, arms crossed.

"Hyne," was the simple response.

"Outrageous," Quistis immediately replied. "Even if the legends are true, how could a dried husk of a being dead for centuries be of any use to anyone?"

Quara looked up at Quistis with solemn blue eyes, studying the woman's face intently. "The Red could awaken him and let him reign havoc upon us once again." She paused and then spoke adamantly. "Tell me, have the chosen two arisen?"

"What two?" Harris asked. His brow was creased with confusion but also curiosity.

"The chosen two. The descendents of power. The Red and the Blue. The Red was Hyne's chosen, his gamble to awaken the Old Gods and be crowned with power," Quara replied. Her eyes focused on Quistis. "The Blue is our last hope to combat the Red and Hyne's plans. So I ask again, have you arisen?"

It took Quistis a moment to process the intent of Quara's query before she laughed. "Are you hinting that I'm this other power in your fairytales?" she asked incredulously.

"The Blue is the chosen one, the gift to the Trabian tribes," Quara began. "The original blue sorceress was the founder of my line. The power is passed down to each new daughter on her fifth year."

"You'd pass a sorceress power on to a small child?" Irvine asked angrily. "Why put that kind of power into the hands of an innocent?"

Quara's gaze to Irvine seared him to the bone. Her bright blue eyes were filled with compassion and pain. "It's the price the power demands," she replied simply. "You see, the Blue's power grows by the experience of its wielder. By letting it grow more robust from childhood until it is ready to be passed to the next generation, it keeps growing stronger, hopefully to the point of being able to overpower the Red when the time comes."

Quistis snorted. "If the Blue is a powerful line within your family, why would you think it's rising in me?" she asked hotly. But even so, deep down, her heart soared for a moment in hope.

"Because, my daughter, after you were granted your power, you were taken far from our homelands in Trabia to a grey house by the sea and placed in the care of one who carried a piece of the Red's power," Quara replied softly. "It pained my heart but our gods spoke of the need for the daughter of my body to be raised by another. They said the time was nigh and the Red's power would consolidate in a single body once more. My daughter would need the experience and familiarity with the power of the Red if she was ever to prevail."

Quistis stared silently at Quara, trying to take in the implications of the woman's words. Her legs trembled and then collapsed beneath her. Finding herself on the ground, she had no interest in moving, instead glancing around wildly to her comrades for something to say. She felt Seifer's silent support come up behind her. He didn't touch her but he didn't need to. His presence was enough.

"Wouldn't it have been better to train Quistis from childhood instead of abandoning her?" Xu asked. As an abandoned orphan herself, the idea of someone willingly parting from their child appalled her. "And why only show up now? Why not come to Quistis with this information years ago?"

For a moment, temper flared in Quara's eyes, so reminiscent to the anger that would bubble up in Quistis from time to time. "Do you not think I wouldn't wish to be with my child?" she snapped. "But this was a road that Quistis needed to find on her own. She needed to gain experience and wisdom. Now that the time has come, I can help her find the last pieces of herself, but I could not come before."

Selphie rubbed at the back of her neck, frowning. "Could you maybe go back to the whole Hyne thing and the Red sorceress?" she asked. "Why is all of this even supposed to happen?"

Quara looked up at Selphie, and then glanced around to everyone else present. "Do you all truly wish to know? Would you hear the tale that has chased my people through time and left us with an unenviable fate?"

Selphie nodded emphatically. "We need to know what we're up against if you think we have any chance of defeating it." She bit her lip, speaking the words that all of them secretly feared. "Is this Red sorceress Rinoa? Are we gonna have to fight her?"

Quara looked down at her hands. "Is Rinoa the girl who has combined the majority of the sorceress power within her?" she asked.

Silent nods were her only response.

"If that is the girl, then yes, she is becoming the Red sorceress," Quara said heavily. "Now that the majority of power has been consolidated into one body, and she has been awoken by Hyne, she will seek out the rest of the sorceress power in the world before resurrecting her lover and casting us all in to darkness."

Harris shook his head. "Please, start from the beginning…"

Sitting straight, Quara's hands fell gently into her lap and her words rushed through them as she wove her dark tale from the very beginning.


	6. Revisiting Tales

Author Notes: This one was difficult to write. I wrote, then rewrote about three times because something just felt off. I'm mostly pleased with how it turned out but I guess I'll just have to see in the long run how well it worked.

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 6: Revisiting Tales

 _Many, many years ago, when our world was still young, there lived the tribes of Trabia and the empire of Centra. From Centra came a strong man known as Hyne the Magician for he was the most powerful of their enchanters, more magic than human._

 _As a young man, he traveled the globe and in a remote village in the Trabian tundra, he met two young women, two sisters that he took an immediate liking to._

 _These two sisters were as different from each other as night and day but in one thing they were of one mind. When Hyne chose to leave Trabia, they would both go with him. For they were enchanted by his stories of far away places and the elegance of the Centran Empire. They wanted to experience these things and places for themselves_

 _The eldest sister, Juna, was as fair as the sun itself and let her golden radiance lighten the world around her. She remained steady and calm in every situation, letting the problems of the world revolve around her, instead of letting herself revolve around them. She was steadfast and true, never forgetting what it meant to be a daughter of Trabia. She wanted to explore and see new places so she could come home with wisdom to pass down to her children._

 _Rasha, the younger, was as dark and beautiful as the moon. With her porcelain skin, navy blue eyes and long dark tresses, so many men in the village loved her from afar and sought her hand, but she refused them all. Spirited, wild and impetuous, she wanted to throw herself into life and never look back. She was passionately in love with Hyne and wanted nothing more than to have him take her back to Centra and make her his wife. She was tired of the cold Trabian way. She longed for the sleek sophistication of Centra and Hyne was her way to escape all of it._

 _The months Hyne spent exploring Trabia from the homepoint of the sisters' village was a happy time for them. His grasp of magic and the power that glittered like stars in his eyes made many of the villagers believe that they were truly in the presence of a god. Some feared his presence for being there could have angered the old gods who did not take kindly to usurpers trying to claim what was theirs._

 _When the time finally came for Hyne to return home, he stood in the center of the village and many were silently relieved. They offered him gifts to ease his journey home. Hearty meads and the finest furs. Thick joints of meat, salted to extend their lifespan. What few fruits and vegetables could be spared were delivered in finely woven baskets. But before he left, Hyne took one more thing from their precious village. He took the two sisters, calling them forward and asking for their love and loyalty in return for wondrous gifts._

 _Rasha threw herself down at Hyne's feet, crying out her love for the handsome Magician. Juna was more cautious but feared letting her sister leave alone and so she too knelt in homage, cautious in her words and even more careful in her pledges. In return for their promise to come with him, he placed a hand on each of their shoulders and power rushed through both of them, burning their insides and forever changing them from girls into something more. The parents of the sisters cried out in fear for they watched their daughters become more than mere girls. They became Hyne's angels, fallen from the heavens with the powers of the gods._

 _With his prizes in hand, Hyne returned home, parading his many treasures before the Emperor and his court. For once he dressed them up in the Centran finery, they were like queens themselves. Many were jealous and coveted what was his, but Hyne was too powerful to challenge for possession of two tribal women._

 _Time passed and both Rasha and Juna became accustomed to the court life. With their bright powers, they were admired and respected, but none dared to try and take what belonged to Hyne. In time, Hyne wanted a son. He believed that he should rule the Empire, for was he not the strongest and the best? But he knew without a progeny, he would never succeed in his bid for the throne. Determined to choose the best and brightest for his bride, Hyne went to the chambers of Juna late one night to tell her of the great honor he would bring her._

 _Instead, he found Juna in the arms of another. A lesser mage within the court, he was barely more than an apprentice to his superiors but had won the heart of the Trabian girl while Hyne flaunted and preened in the sun. Juna had long ago become disillusioned with the fineries that Hyne presented her or the pompous nature that he displayed. She had chosen a man of great beauty and a kind heart._

 _Angered beyond belief, Hyne struck down Juna's lover in a jealous rage, swearing that no one but he would ever be her lover._

 _When Rasha heard the anguished cry of her sister, she came to her aid, only to find Hyne and Juna in the middle of heated words. Blinded by her own love for Hyne, Rasha sided against her sister, forever breaking their bond._

 _Juna was gone by morning and Hyne took Rasha to his bed to keep at least one sister in his possession. Rasha chose to believe Hyne's story of how Juna tried to flaunt a lover in Hyne's face to make him jealous and Hyne destroyed this insignificant man in defense of her sister. Instead of grieving that her sister had abandoned her alone in this world of intrigue, she only felt anger that her beloved sister would try to steal the man she had long loved away._

 _Juna returned home to her village to the open arms of her family but considerable fear from the rest of the villagers. No one quite knew what she was anymore. Undaunted, Juna would walk through the village every day to offer her blessings and share her power to protect the village from harm. They came to call her the Blue Sorceress for the trademark robes she wore that matched the blue eyes of the lover she had lost and the daughter that she had borne him._

 _It was a happy life for Juna, teaching her daughter the Trabian way and the mysteries of the magic that they both carried._

 _But they could hear the frightened whispers of those seeking to escape the Centran Empire. Its reach had grown long and Hyne grasped at its fringes to make it grow larger. Emperor in all but name, Hyne scoured the countryside of stubborn regions, flying over the air with the Red Witch at his side. It wouldn't be long before they extended their hand toward Trabia._

 _Babies, came the whisper from the south. Protect your babies or the Magician and his Witch will come and steal them away. Dark magic, they said. Evil magic. To get the Witch pregnant. To break the heart of the people. To punish them for trying to resist. To turn themselves in to gods._

 _Afraid for her own young daughter, Juna once again left the safety of her village to go in search of the leader of the Trabian forces. She knew that eventually Hyne would come for her. She had run away once but she would not do so again. She had walked this earth and learned from it. She had let her powers mature by soaking in the wisdom of all she had met. It was the time to face both Hyne and Rasha._

 _Juna went to the camp of Vascaroon, already a hero to the Trabian people. Offering her assistance to the camp sentries to be allowed entry, they only laughed her away. What could a woman offer a man like Vascaroon except to warm his furs at night. Her eyes sparked with the electricity of her power and she rose in the air to float upon the currents of the wind. Frightened beyond words, the sentries ran to fetch Vascaroon himself to deal with this Blue menace at their gates. Unlike his guards, the grand Trabian hero immediately gave admittance to the woman, bringing her to his tent and serving her warm food and sweet mead himself. For he had heard tales of the Blue Sorceress. Stories of her power but more importantly, stories of her unending kindness and her guardianship of a village._

 _Vascaroon listened with great respect to Juna's offer. He had been trying to find a way to defend his people against the terror of Hyne but had come up with nothing. If even half the stories were true, he knew that there could be a chance._

 _Juna and Vascaroon left together the next morning to make the journey south. Though his soldiers had protested being left behind, Vascaroon knew that this was a journey for just the two of them. They followed the stories of fear to find Hyne and each night Juna wept at what her sister had become. She had been wholly corrupted just for her love for the wrong man._

 _They met upon the verdant fields of Northern Centra as the Gods watched on. The powers of the Red Witch and Blue Sorceress clashed. Festering hatred blinded Rasha to Juna's pleas to stop this insanity. Too many years of poisoned words had clouded her judgment and all she could feel was hate. Gathering her power together, Juna unleashed the killing blow, even as tears froze upon her cheeks. The strength of her blow shattered Rasha and sent her power careening through the world in small shards to create a whole generation of sorceresses who would be forced to pass along their power at death, just as Rasha had been forced to._

 _As Rasha lay dying in her sister's arms, there was no reconciliation. Instead, she promised Juna that a time would come when her power would be brought back together again and she would live once more. She would make Juna know the pain that she had long suffered. She would resurrect her lover and bring the world to its knees for him and they would live forever together as gods._

 _Her heart heavy with the weight of Rasha's words, Juna was afforded no moment to grieve but instead turned her attention to the mighty fight of Hyne and Vascaroon. The pain of losing her sister still fresh in her heart, Juna summoned bright chains of golden light to hold Hyne still, rendering him unable to cast his spells or defend against the mortal weapons that Vascaroon carried with him._

 _Taking up his mighty blade, Vascaroon cut down the mighty Hyne, slicing him in two. It was the end of the tyrannical leader, the destroyer of children. It was the end of the magical time as everyone knew it. Too much distrust had been built up in the world by Hyne's tyrannical doings, from the frightening terror of the Red Witch's hunts across the land. No one would ever welcome an unknown mage in their villages again or be dazzled by the wondrous workings of magic again._

 _All of this Juna knew as she watched the man she had once looked up to as a mentor die. The good he had done in the world would be forgotten. Nothing would be remembered but the evil. And she wanted no part of that._

 _When Vascaroon asked Juna to return with him to Trabia so all would know what she had done, she gently declined. When Vascaroon asked to let him make her their queen, she gently declined. When Vascaroon asked what he could do for the woman who had saved Trabia from the monster that would come, Juna only replied asking for two favors._

 _In Vascaroon's heart, he knew that he could deny this woman nothing, and so he promised that it would be done. The first, Juna asked that Rasha's name never be spoken again. Let her presence be forgotten, let the stories of her power die with age. When Hyne's name would be spoken in fear, let it be spoken alone. Let her sister rest in peace. Though Vascaroon knew that this might be difficult, in honor of the great woman before him, he would see it done._

 _The second favor Juna asked of the great hero was to forget her. Let her go back to her private existence in her village and never speak of the part she played in the slaying of Hyne. To this Vascaroon protested. It had been Juna who had won the day and it should be her that was applauded and loved for her deeds. On this point she was adamant. She wanted no one to know outside of her village the part that she had played._

 _The two parted the very next day. Juna wished to bury her sister in peace while Vascaroon had the far heavier task of burying Hyne and then reporting what happened to the world. Juna would disappear home and Vascaroon would be lauded as a hero once again, the slayer of Hyne. The world would soon forget about the Red Witch and Blue Sorceress as time marched on and tales of Hyne's story became more and more convoluted in its retellings._

 _Only one village chooses to remember the entire truth, instead of letting it be buried in half-lies. The people chose to honor the Blue Sorceress and her line, knowing that a time might come when the truth was important to remember. Many dedicated their lives to the teachings of the Blue Sorceress, learning of the decadent ways of the Centran people and carrying on her legacy to remember the truth._

 _As she approached her middle years, Juna disappeared from the village for four weeks, traveling in secret through the world that it had become, listening to the stories and reminiscing over long forgotten memories. When she finally returned home to her daughter, they retired to private chambers to speak for many hours. When they finally emerged, the younger woman's eyes glowed with the same bright power that had once shined in the eyes of their Blue Sorceress. The legacy had been passed on, along with knowledge to be passed down to her children._

 _This story has been passed down for generations through the line of the Blue Sorceress with the eldest daughter always becoming the next in line to inherit the power and bear the burden of the visions Juna saw in her travels and with the prophecy that came with it._

Silence drifted over the SeeD camp, uncomfortable and tense. No one wanted to be the first to break it and bring reality to stare them in the face. A reality where a friend was gravely injured and another friend was quite possibly the cause of it. They stood on the brink of a world made up of magic and prophecy, too far away from the stark realities that they had grown up with. War was a reality that they understood. Conflict. Politics. But prophecies and resurrection?

"What's happening to Rinoa?" Selphie finally asked hesitantly.

Quara's eyes looked through the Trabian Lieutenant, narrowing ever so slightly before she spoke. "She may be experiencing the beginning stages of Rasha reborn coming home. To be this close to the tomb of Hyne might have been too much for her to handle."

Quistis lifted a hand in denial. "So if what you say is true then should I be expecting a knock on my head from a long dead Juna to be reborn in me? Because if that's where all of this shit is headed, you can just count me out. I'm my own person and not a damn thing you say will make me believe otherwise."

Quara rose from her seated position, shaking her head. "Child, the line of Juna was given the task of preventing the rise of Hyne again, not to become empty shells for our ancestress to inhabit. Rasha was an angry spirit seeking revenge at the end of her life having witnessed her sister's supposed betrayal and her power shattered and spread across the world. Juna passed away peacefully in her sleep after living a long and full life watching her daughter grow and have children herself. Do you not see the difference?"

Seifer inched his way forward, gently resting a hand against Quistis' shoulder. Too much of this felt familiar to him. Not that he'd heard the story before but that something in his body expected it. He was busy trying to muddle through why any of this might make sense to him when Quara's sharp voice and inherent power threw him back five feet and flat on his back.

"You will not touch my daughter, Red Servant," Quara shouted, her hand extended in a follow through of her spell.

"What the fuck was that?" Seifer growled as he sat up, rubbing at his dyed brown hair.

The entire group stared with wide eyes between Quara and Seifer though Quistis stepped in between. "Enough," she warned calmly.

Blue eyes met blue, matching each other in their anger and fearlessness. "You should not trust him, Quistis. He reeks of Rasha's magic. He is a threat to you and your own power. Until you learn to control your inherent powers, you are at risk to one such as him."

"Duly noted but who I interact with is no concern of yours," Quistis replied calmly. "And I will note that you should refrain from any magic use while in our custody or we will be forced to take measures to prevent you from potentially harming our people."

Quara merely inclined her head in acquiescence but there was a stubborn look in the set of her jaw that the group was all too familiar with.

Turning in a small circle, Quistis ran her fingers through her knotted and frazzled hair. "Okay," she said, half to herself as she breathed out several deep sighs. "The entire camp has been out looking for Rinoa but we have had nothing yet. Whether she's this Rasha reborn or not, she is still an extremely powerful sorceress and we have to assume that our conventional means may not work." She looked around at the tired and drawn faces of those still with her. "We need to regroup. We need all three Gardens here as soon as possible. Word needs to be sent to Galbadia Garden so we can have access to as many resources as possible."

Looking to Harris, she nodded. "Commander Harris, can you please see to arrangements to communicate with Galbadia Garden and request their immediate presence, Code Red." Next, her eyes alighted on Xu, "Lieutenant Estral, you are responsible for getting Commander Leonhart back to Balamb Garden and prepping additional forces to occupy this location." Quistis' blue eyes narrowed. "As of this moment, the Tri-Garden forces are occupying this location until we have all of the answers to our questions, most specifically surrounding the attempted murder of Command Leonhart and the disappearance of Sorceress Rinoa Heartilly. Everyone get moving. Except for Tilmitt, Kinneas and Dincht."

Not wanting to draw the ire of Quistis, everyone else vacated, taking Quara with them. Seifer hesitated at the edge of the encampment, looking back at the blonde commander for a moment before continuing on and shaking his head.

Selphie, Irvine and Zell all stood quietly in the center, keeping their distance from each other. When Quistis turned to face them, they saw the sadness and pain in her eyes. Before her stood her broken family with two members of it possibly lost forever.

"We need to trust each other again," Quistis said simply. "Do whatever you need to do to make that happen before it gets us killed. Squall may die and Rinoa may be lost forever to a psychotic witch intent on raising her dead boyfriend. I won't… I _can't_ lose you guys either. Make this work."

Without another word, she walked away.

This left the three some to stare at each other uncomfortably. No one knew what to say or how to begin to heal a rift that had been lingering for five years. Selphie bit at her lip, a finger twirling her bouncy hair anxiously over and over again, looking between Zell and Irvine. She'd grown up with both of them, loved both of them, so how was she supposed to hurt one of them?

"Selphie, we should break up," Zell blurted out, breaking her train of thought.

Her emerald eyes grew wide and she just stared. "Z-Zell… what do you mean?" she asked shakily.

The blonde martial artist rubbed the back of his head, giving a half-hearted smile. "Maybe not for good but for right now," he explained. He looked at Irvine. "I see the way she still looks at you. We've been together for years and I've never seen her look at me like that once. I think I'm better for her. I love her and I can be there for her, but I can't deny how much she loves you." He reached out and gently took Selphie's shaking hands. "I think we need to all be friends again until this is over and then maybe you can decide what you want to do. If you think you really belong with Irvine then I'll be happy for you. But if you want to be with me, you know that I'll always want to be with you."

Irvine watched the two of them in frozen shock. "I'm sorry, Zell," he said. "I shouldn't blame you for my own failings. I had a ton of chances to tell her how I felt but I didn't. It wasn't until she was gone that I realized how much of an ass I was." He turned his gaze to the green eyed treasure before him. "Sefie, I've loved you since we were children. That's never changed and not being with you for the past five years has killed me inside. I should have told you a long time ago but I was scared to be the man you deserved."

Selphie looked between the two men of her life, keeping a tight grip on Zell's one hand while reaching out to hold Irvine's as well. She took in a deep breath. "I love you both. But Zell, you're right. We need to be friends. We need to learn to trust each other again. I know it's still going to be awkward but maybe…" She gave a timid smile. "Maybe we can find a way to make some of this right."

"Harris, wait up a sec," Seifer called as he jogged after the Trabian Commander. He knew what was bothering him and could only talk to one person about it.

The tall Commander turned and looked back at Seifer, raising one brow. "SeeD Reckt," he asked mildly. "Can I help you with something?"

Seifer lifted his chin slightly. "Can I have a couple minutes with your prisoner before you haul her off to Garden?" he asked, turning his gaze on Quara.

The older woman walked stood gracefully beside the Commander, a stunning older version of her daughter with the same golden blonde hair and deep blue eyes. No one could doubt that this woman was the mother Quistis had long dreamed of, but even Seifer had his reservations about a long lost parent just showing up out of the blue. It may have happened for Squall but everything good always happened to Leonhart. Except for possibly being murdered by a psychotic girlfriend possessed by a long dead Witch.

"Five minutes, Reckt. Then escort her back to the Communications area," Harris said with a sigh. This was not a world he wanted to get mixed up in. He'd been a decorated hero and had made a good career. It was personal pride in his home Garden that had made him come back as the Trabian Commander but he was starting to long for the quiet life he had built for himself away from the military forces.

Waiting for Harris to get out of earshot, Seifer finally spoke in a low voice, keeping a slight distance from Quara. "What am I?" he asked simply.

Quara tilted her head to the side. "I would assume that you are a SeeD based on your uniform," she replied uneasily. Her fingers fiddled together, not looking him in the yes.

"You know what I mean," Seifer replied harshly. "You attacked me just for touching Quistis. What am I that scares you so much."

Quara's eyes narrowed and she studied Seifer up and down. "You care for my daughter? That's why you've come to me?" She hesitated. "The last sorceress to try and reconstitute Rasha's power… the one that tried to destroy the world. You were her knight, were you not?" Not waiting for Seifer to answer, she continued. "It is pure supposition, but based on the amount of Rasha's power I feel in you, I believe that you were her chosen subject to host the soul of Hyne."

"Bullshit," Seifer replied harshly. "Ultimecia was a lot of things but she wasn't trying to resurrect some long dead god."

"All that Ultimecia lacked was the tomb. It is the combination of her power and the power of Hyne that's trapped within these ruins that will give him rebirth," Quara said, gesturing all around her. "Instead, Ultimecia was slowly infusing you with the necessary power that would cushion you against Hyne's power when it came rushing in to you. You still carry that power inside of you. If Rinoa continues to pour the power in to you, you will eventually be prepared to accept Hyne in you." She stared at Seifer with intense eyes. "Do you not see _why_ you are a danger to Quistis? If you become Hyne, how can she kill you?"

"Why me?" Seifer whispered. "Why not someone like Squall. He's the hero. He's the one that everyone gravitates to. Not me. Even Quistis wanted him first but made do with me."

Quara lifted her brows. "From what I've understood, Hyne was a regal specimen, much like yourself. Some of it could have been physical. Or it could have been that cocky and haughty spirit of yours." She shrugged. "At this point it does not matter why, but how to prevent it."

"Seifer," a voice called from a distance. Looking over his shoulder, Seifer could see Quistis striding toward them.

"Don't tell her about this," Seifer demanded, looking back at Quara. "She'll worry over what she can't do and won't focus on what she does need to do. I swear that I won't let myself be used as a puppet for Hyne."

A look was shared between the two, along with a reluctant nod from Quara before Quistis joined them. "Harris said that you were over here with her." The Commander kept her gaze focused solely on Seifer. "Wanted to see if you could join me for the time being. Xu is heading back to Balamb Garden and I want to set up a more secure control center for the time being. None of the archeologists are particularly thrilled about what's happening, but what are they gonna do to stop us?" She flashed a tight, worried smile.

Ignoring Quara, Seifer drew Quistis into his arms, her back pressed against his chest and brushed his lips against her temple. From their proximity, he could smell her shampoo and the scent that could only be described as "Quistis". Feeling her soft breath against the arm wrapped around her chest, he took that moment to acknowledge that what he felt for her was more than just an occasional hook up. He would happily lay down his life if it meant protecting her. And maybe that was the best way to play it. Protect her, go out a hero and let her lead the rest of her life with someone who truly deserved her. Nestling his head against the crook of her neck, he cherished the moment.

Quara watched the two of them impassively. She could see the affection between the two of them but it didn't negate the dark future ahead of them. It wasn't predetermined that any one man would be raised as Hyne but the mark of Rasha's power all over him meant that he could become a threat. To spare her newfound daughter the pain, Quara knew that this might be a threat she needed to handle herself.

Fear plagued Rinoa as she ran. She wasn't even sure where her feet were taking her but if she stopped, she knew the horrible flashing memories would solidify and she might be forced to acknowledge something that she wasn't ready to face. Each step carried her further and further away with something deep down guiding her feet.

When the sun finally set, Rinoa came to a halt, looking around her with a shiver. Snow crunched beneath her booted feet and confusion swept through her. Somehow she walked through the Trabian snows. It should have been physically impossible to reach Trabia in a day, let alone on foot. Yet somehow she was here.

In the distance she could see the lights of a small village and she relaxed. At least in a village, Rinoa would be able to get food and maybe even sleep if it was possible. As she took in a deep breath, the cold air burned through her lungs. The physical pain made her gasp as muddled images flashed through her mind.

She could see Squall, her beautiful knight kneeling beside her as she screamed and cried to try and get the voice out of her head. She could see the old archeologist poking his head inside the tent, practically salivating as he reached for her. In his eyes glowed a hungry power that she recognized and a part of her called out for. But it was dilluted, half of a man, barely hanging on to pitiful flesh that couldn't truly house the spirit.

Shuddering, she saw herself taking both Squall and Errol to the altar. Her knight happily carried the babbling man. He might have been possessed by a godly power but he was physically weak and it repulsed her. There on the altar, a knife formed in her hand, a small creation from her sorceress powers.

The blade arced down and blood spattered across the room. There stood her knight, splashed crimson against his clean white t-shirt, reveling in the strength of her power. She had once told Quistis that no matter how wrong it was, a knight couldn't or wouldn't betray his sorceress. In that moment, Rinoa wished that he could have. She wished that he could have stopped her from doing what she would do next.

The tears trickled down her pale face, freezing solid against her ice cold skin but Rinoa took no notice. The blood of Errol's sacrifice unleashed the power within her and she slowly poured it in to Squall, making him her vessel for Hyne's resurrection. In her head screamed the voice of Rasha, wanting to push more and more power into this human body to give Hyne a place to return to. But as she watched, she could see how that much power was killing him.

Rinoa sank down into the snow, ignoring the burning of her bare legs slowly freezing in the snow. "Squall…" she whispered, cradling her head in her hands.

She had felt the distress of her knight and fought against Rasha's voice demanding a vessel for Hyne.

 _Kill it. Kill me!_ She threw the thought to Squall, even as she tried to pull back on the power that was entering his body. _Don't let this happen._

"No!" Squall could hear her thoughts and knew her desires but his own heart forbade harming her. He even knew what the cost could be if he let her follow through, but how could he ever turn against her?

Would it have been so terrible to let Hyne rise again in Squall? She would be by his side as his Queen Rasha, the Red Witch who yearned to take full control of her body. Even possessed, they could be together, side by side, for eternity. Was that not what their love was promised? But what of her friends? Of her family? Of the world? Could she let them take control? The Red Witch would be bad enough but to let Hyne reign over everything?

Her first thoughts were of the children. The legends told of Hyne killing the children to destroy mankind. And knowing what she would be unleashing on the people is what gave her the strength to break her own heart. Let her fall victim to an angry spirit who was the first to hold the power that now ran through her veins but she would not let Squall be used for such evils.

Her hand lifted as she rained spells down on his already broken and bruised body from intaking the power. She could hear Rasha screaming in her head to stop but it would do no good. She had already offered up too much power to begin anew. Even at the cost of the love of her life, she had prevented the next coming.

Unable to watch Squall die, she had run. Run and run until she came to this place. Rasha's voice was a little quieter in her head so now all she had to do was lay down and go to sleep in the snow. She would drift away quietly and then there would be no pain. She would meet Squall again in the next life and this time they would be just a boy and a girl who fell in love.

Even as she knew death was coming, she smiled, closing her eyes to let sleep come. She was happy. Death wasn't so bad. She could barely feel the biting cold any longer. Instead of the wild whipping winds that ran rampant across the Trabian plains, she heard murmuring voices. It must be the way the trees diverted the power of the air. Instead of burning cold, she almost felt warm. Perhaps it was just the soothing end.

But then a hand rested on her forehead. Startled, Rinoa's eyes flew back open and instead of the dark, isolated tundra, all she saw was a warm fire and blankets. She was wrapped in a hot cocoon at a large fire in the middle of the village she had seen in the distance. Despair struck her all at once, not only in the fact that she had failed to end her life, or that she wouldn't be reunited with Squall, but by the rampant glee she could feel from Rasha.

 _I'm home…_ the visiting spirit screamed with delight.


	7. Confrontation

Author's Notes: First off, Happy New Year and so sorry to have taken so long to get the next chapter out. I got a little distracted with other things this year. The good news is that when I had a spare moment, I wrote and have several chapters that I just need to do a quick edit of before uploading.

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 7: Confrontation

"Okay, write this damned prophecy down for us," Quistis muttered as she swiped her hand across her forehead in exasperation. She still wasn't entirely convinced that Quara was her long lost mother, even though everyone claimed the resemblance was uncanny, and she was even less convinced that she was at the center of some long lost prophecy about warring gods and homicidal mages. But with all that was at stake, she couldn't take any risks. She looked down at her mother as she paced back and forth across her office.

Grateful beyond belief that Galbadia Garden had been nearby, they now had the strength of all three Gardens at their disposal. As the Commander of Galbadia Garden and the current ranking military officer in the field, she had taken custody of Quara and provided ample quarters and a twenty-four hour guard, just in case. But now the older woman sat casually in her office, answering questions before Quistis had a debriefing with the Headmaster in twenty minutes.

The past few days had gone by in a blur for all of them. Quistis had spent the majority of time on the phone to the head of the Tri-Garden Council, the elected representative of all towns and major entities in the world who oversaw the missions of the Gardens and was the technical superior of all three Headmasters.

" _Commander Trepe, you expect me to believe a fairy tale by a tribal woman with no shred of evidence to back her claim?" President Jerrick Tyrone stared at Quistis through their video conference, his mouth half agape._

 _Tyrone had been a government official from Esthar before running and being elected to his current position, one that he'd held for two years. In that time, he'd been focused on peaceful solutions and building enough bureaucratic red tape within the system to slow the mercenary entities from being able to respond without hesitation to three week deliberations. A pacifist to the core, he didn't believe that the first response to a crisis should be to hire the biggest gun. It was admirable, but frustrated Quistis because he didn't seem to understand that some circumstances required swift action. Like now._

" _Sir, even putting aside Quara's assertions, we have had quite a bit of unusual activity on the dig site," Quistis replied. "Commander Leonhart remains in critical condition and I'm told that Doctor Kadawaki is uncertain if he'll ever recover. Doctor Errol is dead via blood loss from the wound on his neck but no one can explain the state of cell destruction to his organs. These are all mysteries that we need to solve before we can worry about anything else."_

 _Tyrone rubbed a finger over his generous moustache. "Galbadia's President is furious over what he calls the seizure of a Galbadian dig site. The fact that it was Galbadia Garden's Commander made absolutely no difference to him. When this is over, you may be facing a fight to keep your job." There was no malice in his voice. Overall, he liked the young commander but he couldn't and wouldn't put his own job on the line for her. "But… I'll do what I can to hold them off for a while so you can try and get a better grasp on the situation," he conceded. "You have two weeks, Commander. If your visit goes beyond two weeks then you're on your own."_

Quistis rubbed her face tiredly. She only had eleven days left before Galbadia came knocking and so far she had nothing to show for her hostile takeover of an archaeological site. There was a small rap on her door before it opened, revealing the commanding presence of Headmaster Nico Poole. Immediately, she snapped a salute.

"Sir, I didn't think we were meeting for another hour," Quistis said anxiously, glancing over at Quara who was busily writing on a piece of pad of paper she had pilfered from Quistis' desk and ignoring Poole entirely.

"At ease, Quistis," Poole said, waving a dismissive hand. He strode in to the office, a tall, powerful specimen of a man, the exact opposite of Headmaster Cid in almost every way. Prior to his time in Garden, he had been in the Galbadian Army and had actually served alongside Rinoa's father for several years. "I had some free time and I figured it would take longer than originally scheduled to wade through all of this muck so I came down a little early. I hope that's alright with you."

"Absolutely, sir," Quistis responded, nodding fervently. "Have you heard anything from Balamb Garden today, sir?"

"I spoke with Cid a few hours ago," Poole strode into the office, sitting down in front of Quistis' desk. "He said that he has teams scouring the ruins. His idiotic research SeeD teams are finally making themselves useful. There isn't much, just some books and scrolls that no one knows how to read. We've got people calling in to every major university on the planet to see if they can assist."

Quistis hesitated. "And Commander Leonhart?"

Poole shook his head. "I know he was an old war buddy of yours, Quistis, but you need to prepare yourself for the worst. There's a very high chance that Leonhart isn't going to wake up."

The words cut at Quistis' heart but she knew the truth of what Poole said. She, better than most, knew the power a sorceress could wield and how bad the wounds left behind could be. "All the same, sir, I'll keep hope," she said, however, with a smile. "Squall is family and we won't ever abandon family." Her eyes slanted slightly in the direction of Quara. Even when she was ready to accept that this woman was her mother, she was not ready to even address the fact that she had been abandoned for no good reason at an early age.

"We'll all keep hope," Poole said smoothly before continuing on. His gaze also turned to Quara. "Have the teams reached Trabia yet to try and find anyone who might be able to shed some light on her?"

"They should be checking in at any time, sir," Quistis replied. "Lieutenant Estral put the very best she could find in control of that mission."

Poole nodded, absently stroking his chin. "About Slader…"

Quistis flinched at the sound of the name. "Sir, if I could explain…"

"Under normal circumstances, I would understand your decisions and support you in this," Poole began. "However, because of what arose immediately after, Slader is now threatening charges of treason against Galbadia. They're bogus, I'm aware, but if he makes formal charges, you'll be placed on suspension until the investigation is completed. It would be a minimum of six months, especially since from the Galbadian Court's eyes, you've made some very rash and potentially harmful decisions."

"So we have a rogue sorceress on the loose and the possibility of a greater threat coming and Slader wants to play politics?" Quistis asked incredulously. But she knew that she shouldn't have expected him to go quietly into the night. "Hyne, don't we have enough shit going on without some jackass with illusions of power rearing his ugly head?"

The lithe Commander sprang to her feet, pacing around the room with furious strides. Her whole body shook with her anger, fingers flexing in and out as she took deep breaths. "If that's the way Slader wants to play it, so be it," she finally said, her voice settling back into the calm tones people were used to from her. "If Slader tries to get in my way in protecting this Garden and its people, then I will deal with him."

Poole nodded with a benign smile. He had no real fondness for Slader, given his more high class upbringing, and he always appreciated seeing the more fiery side of Quistis. It was one of the reasons he had chosen her as his Commander. "See to things, Quistis. I will keep this Garden afloat and ready to do our duty." He had one further aside look for Quara before departing the office.

Once they were alone again, Quara spoke quietly. "You will not wish to hear this but when the time comes, Quistis, you will need to put your duties aside here and face your true calling. You are the only one who can have a hope of stopping your friend. The more time you waste here, the more time Rasha has to regain strength."

"If I knew where _Rinoa_ was headed, I would be heading there myself," Quistis replied curtly, gently stressing Rinoa's name. "But until I know something, the best place for me to be is here, doing my job."

Quara rose from her seat, taking Quistis' hand to guide her to the small sofa that was placed in the corner. "If you need to know where Rasha is, all you need to do is look within yourself, my daughter."

Quistis' eyes narrowed, but she didn't even bother to address the presumption. "What in Hyne's name do you mean by looking within myself?"

Sighing, Quara tightened her grip on Quistis' hand. "Close your eyes and calm your heart," she instructed. She waited for the inevitable huff in response but her pupil did as instructed. "Listen to your breathing. Listen to the beat of your heart. Concentrate your mind on Rasha. Envision her current form. The two of you are linked by the bonds of sisters down through the ages. Concentrate your thoughts exclusively on her and you will see."

Quistis understood para magic. She had worked with it since she was eleven. It was a unique combination of natural energies and science to form both a valued tool and a dangerous weapon. But the idea of outright magic and whimsy was still ridiculous in her mind. Even if she had been friends with a sorceress for years. But with nothing else to lose, she closed her eyes and regulated her breath to a calming meditation. Her thoughts naturally strayed to wondering over Rinoa and Squall every waking moment so trying to focus her attention on the black haired sorceress was not difficult. She thought of Rinoa's bubbly, almost too loud laugh, the way her brown eyes sparkled with mischief, or with love whenever she looked in Squall's direction. She thought of her breathtaking beauty and silken black hair that always smelled of lilies, her favorite flower.

Even as she pictured Rinoa's smile in her mind, it warped and changed. It was no longer the innocent beam of a young girl who still carried an air of youth but one twisted and vengeful. In the distance, Quistis could hear screams, smell smoke burning the inside of her nostrils.

"All teams fall back!" The words echoed through her head, all too painfully familiar to name in the instant.

Rinoa's face hovered in front of her, the only crystal clear image amidst a world of blurry objects. Cruel eyes stared down at still objects on the dark ground. They were all sizes and shapes but Quistis could barely make out the forms of bodies.

"Rinoa! Don't do this!" the disembodied voice shouted. "Don't let it take you! Fight with everything in you."

"You will be my vessel," Rinoa's voice sounded all wrong. It screamed words full of hatred and loathing. "You will be my salvation. Come with me to a place of no return where you will have powers you never dreamed of. Bid your meaningless life farewell and just take my hand…"

Quistis' vision finally cleared enough to see what was happening around Rinoa. The bodies on the ground weren't moving. Intermixed with the bodies of dead civilians, her heart ached to see the familiar gleam of Balamb SeeD uniforms. But what truly stopped her heart were the defiant green eyes of Seifer Almasy, bleeding from a cut in his hairline, half his face drenched by his own blood.

Even kneeling before Rinoa, Seifer never lost his defiant stare or innate arrogance that was characteristic of who he was. But within his dark green eyes was compassion. "Rinoa, stop this. This isn't you." When there was no response, he went for his last option. "Rinoa, think of Squall."

For an instant, the look on her face wavered. There was confusion and pain. "Squall…?" Tears dashed down her cheeks. "Squall is dead. There's nothing left for me." The expression resolidified into determination, even as she continued to weep. "Just accept this, Seifer," she whispered. "It will be easier for everyone. Take the power and be reborn as a god. Isn't this what you always wanted? Isn't this what bound you to Ultimecia?"

"It was… I wanted to be the strongest," Seifer admitted, his head bent down as he stared at Hyperion laying in the snow. "But that's not enough now. I will not be a vessel to anything that would hurt Quistis." His head snapped up and he snatched up his blade. "Forgive me," he whispered, arcing the gunbade up to slash through Rinoa's delicate skin.

Fear for her friend, fear for Seifer and a sudden rumble of power through the room jostled Quistis enough for her to lose her concentration on the scene on the other side of the world. Blinking tears from her eyes, she leapt immediately for her phone, slapping down a quick dial.

"Selphie, get the Ragnarok ready to be in the air in five minutes," she half shouted. "We need to be in Trabia now," Quistis ordered through the phone. Terror ran through her body. Whose dead body would she find in Trabia? She cast a searing glance toward Quara. "Hurry up or I'll leave you here in your room," she snapped before running out of the room.

Quistis paced the flight deck of the Ragnarok, looking over at Selphie every now and then as the small Lieutenant glided her hands over the controls. The Estharian ship had been in Balamb hands ever since its original acquisition and even though there were other pilots always on hand to fly it for special missions, she trusted no one more than Selphie to coax as much speed out of the ship as she could. Both Zell and Irvine had argued to come along as well, along with four additional SeeDs from each Garden and Quara.

It was a three hour trip to Trabia at high altitudes but it was the slowest passage of time Quistis had ever experienced. Not even waiting to hear about whether she passed her SeeD exam had wracked her body with such anxiety. The entire time she paced, ignoring encouragement from each of her friends and Quara to sit down and rest a little.

"Half an hour 'til touch down!" Selphie called, breaking Quistis from her pondering thoughts.

With her eyes narrowed, Quistis gave a quick confirmation back before walking over to where Quara sat calmly, her eyes closed. "We need to talk," she said quietly.

Immediately, Quara's eyes opened, tilting upward to stare up to Quistis. She had been expecting this conversation. "What is it, my child?" she asked.

Shaking her head, Quistis jerked her head toward the lift to take them downstairs and into the conference room. These were things to be said in privacy, away from anyone else. Amidst the clouds flying by the large picture windows, she described the scene that she had viewed and what Rinoa had said. It had puzzled her to no end and now she wanted answers.

"Don't make me ask it," Quistis said as she stared out the window.

"Seifer is to be the vessel for Hyne," Quara replied with no preamble. "I felt it in him the moment I came into the encampment. He carries the power of the Red. Not enough to begin the transformation, but at this point, he's one of the few who could make a full transition."

Quistis shook her head, "I don't understand, how can he become Hyne?"

Quara took her time in answering. "Sorceresses for centuries have been trying to transfer enough of their power into a male body to reanimate Hyne," she began. "For Hyne to be reborn, he needs to retake Red power and the soul must be released from his tomb where the body was originally buried. Ultimecia imbued Seifer with a great deal of Red power before her defeat. Each sorceress can only siphon off a certain amount of power. Ultimecia had siphoned off so much power in her quest to raise Hyne that she even left herself vulnerable to the determination of six teenagers. At her full strength, you may not have been as successful…" Quara paused. "Seifer is likely Rasha's best bet to resurrect Hyne. Even if Rinoa had unconsciously been giving power to Squall, he's so weak that the body might not even be able to survive the transformation."

Quistis' eyes flashed angrily. "She can't have him," she hissed. "Seifer will not become Hyne."

"FIVE MINUTES OUT," Selphie's voice crackled over the intercom.

"We'll deal with whatever is down there," Quistis said with finality. "But I swear to every god in existence, you will not take things into your own hands and touch Seifer. Or I will see just how much of Juna is in me at the death of a loved one."

Looking back out the window, she didn't wait for a response from Quara. Instead, Quistis just stared at the sky, frowning at the darkening clouds in front of them. "What time is it…" she muttered to herself, checking her watch. It should have only been three in the afternoon, far too early for the rapidly darkening sky when there was no sign of a storm on the horizon. Forgetting her threats to the older woman, she looked back to see if she was still there.

"It's Rasha," Quara said slowly. " _This world will suffer a darkness and no more light will be seen…"_ she whispered. "It's starting." Her cobalt eyes snapped back to Quistis' face. "We need to get on the ground, NOW."

Uncertain, but understanding the fear in Quara's eyes, Quistis nodded and sprinted from the room. "Strap in," she called over her shoulder as the lift started it's ascent to the cockpit.

"Selphie, get us on the ground as close as you can," she ordered. "Something's coming. I can feel it." Coming up behind the pilot, she flicked the intercom on. "Everyone, get strapped in. We may have a bumpy landing coming up." As she spoke, she flung herself down next to Selphie, keeping her eyes on the sky around them. Behind her she heard both Irvine and Zell heading for the lift to join Quara below.

No one was prepared for the great bursts of fire that exploded in front of them.

"Hang in there, guys!" Selphie shouted as she veered the ship, weaving through the air as she tried to avoid getting hit. "I'm bringing her down now!"

They were so close to the ground, only about one hundred feet up when a great jet of fire caught one of the rear engines. The large ship rolled away from the explosion, going in to a hard spin as it careened toward the ground at a fast pace.

"Brace yourself, we're not going down gently!" Selphie shouted over the intercom, her hands gripping the steering tightly, fighting against the sheer force of the Ragnarok's size as it cut through the air. "Quistis, emergency thrusters."

Though she'd had some training with the Ragnarok before she'd left Balamb, that had been years ago and she'd never been very proficient. But now she had no choice as she smacked on screens and flipped switches to find the right controls.

Forcing the ship out of its spin, Selphie held on tightly to begin to glide the ship down, plotting out a trajectory that would land them hard but at least keep them from running in to too many trees or mountainsides.

The entire team of SeeDs felt the impact of the ship hitting the ground. The Ragnarok shrieked in protest to its rough treatment and Selphie could see warnings of damage in all sections of the ship.

"Hang in there for me, sweetie!" she called to the ship, tears squeezing out of her bright emerald eyes.

Trees were plowed down, rocks bashed against the sides, the very earth itself ripping in to its guts but the Ragnarok fought on and held together until it finally slid to a stop. Warning beeps lit the console up in multiple areas, pointing to the breaches in the hull and damage to the interior. In the midst of the chaos, before Quistis blacked out, she swore she heard Selphie scream "WALL!" and a flash of light.

No one on the team came through unscathed and the final flop to the ground had knocked most of them unconscious on impact. Quistis was one of the first to stir, immediately reaching over to Selphie to check her pulse, breathing out a sigh of relief when she felt the weak fluttering pulse under her fingers.

She slowly unbuckled her restraints, lifting a hand to her hair, the fingers coming back wet and sticky with her blood. She must have knocked her head in to something in the last moments.

"Quistis? Selphie!" Irvine's voice boomed as the sound of debris being thrown out of the way reached her ears. The tall cowboy lumbered forward, kneeling down next to Selphie, pressing his hand anxiously against her face. "Is she…?"

"No, she's alive. Help me get her out of here," Quistis replied, struggling to her feet. She could feel the agony of at least two cracked ribs and a mountain of bruising but at least she could walk. "Zell?"

"He's alive. Quara's with him," Irvine replied. "His leg got crushed when some metal shit came down on it. We need to get out of here and regroup. The other SeeDs are already evacuating any and all supplies we can get from the ship. They'll get Zell out. I'm here for you and Selphie."

Irvine gently removed the restraints from the pilot, scooping her up into his arms and holding her close. "Watch your step. I tried to clear the path but everything is dead. We'll have to climb down with the lift. I'll go down first and you can lower Selphie to me."

Coordinating together, the pair were able to drag themselves out of the Ragnarok and into the frozen wasteland of Trabia.

"Fuck it's cold," Quistis hissed as soon as they stumbled outside. "Hope someone managed to retrieve some subzero gear or we're going to freeze to death tonight."

About five hundred feet away from the wreckage of the great dragon ship, the SeeDs were setting up camp. Those without any broken bones had settled those with more serious injuries in front of a fire conjured up with a spell and were boiling snow down for hot water.

"Commander!" one of the Galbadian SeeDs exclaimed as she limped up. "Are you alright, Sir? Sit down and we'll get someone to look over your injuries."

Quistis just shook her head. "Look after Selphie. She's unconscious." Turning away, she limped over to Quara and Zell, resting her hand gently on her friend's forehead. He lay silently wrapped in a blanket, his face white with pain.

"It was bad," Quara whispered next to her. "I did what I could but there is no magic that could mend bone that severely destroyed... " Her gaze was downcast. "But I put him to sleep so he wouldn't have to suffer quite as much for the time being."

Quistis gently stroked back some of his lank blond hair. "Thank you for helping him," she replied quietly. "He's like a little brother to me. If the leg is as bad as you say, he'll never walk the same way again. This is going to destroy him."

Feeling a presence beside her, she looked over her shoulder to see Irvine, still holding Selphie in his arms.

"How is he?" the cowboy asked, gently lowering Selphie down to lay next to Zell.

Quistis could only shake her head. Rising back to her feet, she winced and ignored the immediate worried looks she received. "Get together anyone that is still functional," she ordered. "I'm going to that village and confronting Rinoa. A sorceress is the only one with the power to create those attacks on us. Keep a couple here with you, Irvine. You have command of base camp until I get back."

Irvine started to protest but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. Instead, he quietly went to check everyone's injuries and prepare a team to go with her.

Quara rose and stood next to Quistis. "I will take you there," she said. "You won't be able to find the way in this unnatural darkness. But the village is my home. I can find it."

Unable to refuse any able bodied help, Quistis just nodded and followed after Irvine. By the time she joined him, ignoring the stabbing pain with each breath she took in the frozen air, he had assembled six others to go with her, all with cuts and bruises but no broken bones. In a quiet moment before they left, Irvine slipped her a potion to at least help mask the pain from her ribs so she could perform at her best.

The trek through the snow was cold, but they had equipped themselves with the best magic they had available and thermal jackets to keep the deep chill out. It was only Quara who felt comfortable back in her home environment and she relished the silence of the snow.

As they drew closer, Quistis could see a faint red glow in the sky but kept quiet. It wasn't until they were just over the hill from the village that the rest of them could smell the burning of both houses and bodies. Quara's cry in despair caught everyone off guard but Quistis held her back from casting any magic that might alert a sorceress to their presence.

"You stay here and keep a lookout," Quistis ordered. "Ryans will stay with you. If you hear or see anything, let us know. The rest of you, fan out. Circle the perimeter before moving in. I'm going straight up the center."

The SeeDs all spread out, disappearing into the darkness as Quistis strode straight down the hill and toward the main square. That was where she knew she would find what she was looking for. But what she was going to find there was what scared her.

Striding down what must have been the main boulevard of a quaint little village, Quistis could imagine having grown up here. Playing in the front yard of that house, stopping in that shop for sweets every day, climbing that tree in the corner. But that as never meant to be hers. Instead she became a soldier and saved the world. This could have been her childhood, but now it was all gone.

She came across no bodies until she reached the main square. Here, the village burned. A statue at the center was the focal point of the fire. From what Quistis could see, it was the shape of a young woman but it had been misshapen by the all consuming flame. Amidst the burning red light, bodies were littered everywhere, just like in the vision she had seen.

"No…" Quistis whispered, kneeling down to check the pulse of the first villager she came to. She kept on checking as she drew closer to the center, to no effect. Amidst the villagers were also SeeD members and as she came to the first face she recognized. Erik Matthews, SeeD Rank 14. Then Barrit Drakk, SeeD Rank 18. Serph Reen, SeeD Rank 10. These were people she had trained with, taught, shed blood with. And now they were all dead. Then she came across Xu Estral SeeD Lieutenant. Her limp body was blood splashed and her skin held a ghostly pallor. But her breath rose from her lips, shallow and weak. But at least her heart still beat.

Kneeling down, she hurriedly flicked the cap off of a potion, pouring it down her friend's throat. "Come on, Xu… Not you too," Quistis muttered. Without even waiting for the potion to take effect, she spread her hand across Xu's face, taking in a deep breath before casting Curaga. Light flared across the pallid skin, rejuvenating the shallow breathing.

"Quis..?" Xu whispered, her caramel eyes cracking open. "Rinoa… she's gone mad. Killed everyone." She reached out, gripping Quistis' arm tightly. "Don't turn your back on her."

Quistis' eyes closed to hide the pain that Xu's words caused. Every piece of evidence was pointing to the fact that either as a SeeD or some mythical sorceress, she was going to have to come face to face with one of her dearest friends and kill her.

"Can you stand?" Quistis asked softly, offering Xu her strength. The other woman nodded and slowly they rose back to their feet. "Quara and a support team are at the top of the hill. Get back to them and wait. I need to keep looking for survivors."

Xu swung her arm out to stop Quistis from moving forward. "Don't. I saw enough of what happened, Quistis. You don't want to keep going. Either he joined her and he's the same lapdog he's always been or he's dead and you of all people shouldn't have to see what's left of him."

Quistis looked back over her shoulder, steely resolve making her blue eyes shine bright in the darkness. "He's no lapdog and he's not dead," she spoke softly, but it did not lessen the determination in her voice. "Get going. That's an order."

Continuing down the main street, Quistis booted feet crunched softly in recently fallen snow, the only sound in the eerily silent darkness. The skies were continuing to grow darker, edging closer and closer toward midnight in the middle of the day. As she drew closer to the square, she could see the charred statue, blackened and cracking, but still standing. At its feet lay a solitary figure, his back propped up against the base. Her strides immediately grew longer and faster until she found herself running.

Dropping to her knees, she reached a trembling hand out to Seifer's drawn and bruised face. The most reassuring sight of her day was the gentle rise and fall of his chest, even if her trained ears could detect a faint wheeze as he struggled to keep oxygen flow going through his body.

"No, no, no," Quistis whispered. "Stay with me, Seifer. Don't you dare leave me now." Bits of blonde were already trying to fight their way out from under the cover of brown hair dye and she gently stroked them back.

"Quisty… get out of here," Seifer croaked out weakly. "Trap…"

The words fell on her ears, even as she felt the prickle of magic being summoned on the back of her neck. Years of training was the only thing that kept her alive as she turned sharply, casting a Shell spell as she moved, something usually unheard of. It normally took a few seconds of deep concentration to cast a spell in which the user needed to remain still or it would interrupt. But Quistis was the best of the best and no one alive could use magic the same way that she could.

The sickly green fire of an Ultima spell rained down on both Seifer and Quistis, the fragile thin bubble of the Shell keeping them safe from the worst of it. As soon as the effects began to dissipate, she was moving forward, swinging her whip forward from its place on her hip but it was blocked by the blue flash of Protect.

Out of the darkness floated a faerie creature that had once been a woman and her friend. Silken red robes embossed with gold leaf draped their way across her body, leaving as much skin bare as it covered. Two beautiful raven black wings sprouted from her back, letting her hover in the air. Long black hair floated down to the creature's waist with red shimmers floating through the strands. Everything about her screamed of a magical being, dangerous and not to be trifled with. There were only traces left of the girl who had once been Rinoa. The graceful tilt of her neck. The sadness in her eyes.

Feeling the weight of Seifer's presence at her back, Quistis tightened the grip on her whip, sliding one foot forward into a balanced attack position. There could be no backing down, no running away or no giving up.

"Let Rinoa go and go back to whatever corner of Hell you came from," Quistis said slowly and clearly. "Whatever you are, you don't belong to this world. Let it go or we'll destroy you."

The laughter that erupted past Rinoa's lips was a cold cackle of delight. "Who are you to decide anything, little girl? This is a world for my delights and pleasures. Once my beloved is at my side again, we will take from it what we choose and you pathetic mortals shall worship your new gods. Now, provide me my vessel and let this new world begin."

"Quistis…" Seifer muttered from behind her. He was struggling to stand up, but could only get as far as on one knee in his weakened state. "Go. Go while you can. I'm already tainted by the Red."

Forgetting Rasha for a moment, Quistis turned full on Seifer, her eyes flashing with anger. "You'd make for a pathetic martyr, Seifer Almasy," she snapped. "So sit down, shut up and don't bleed to death." The furious emotions churning inside of her exploded forth in a magical eruption that flooded the area in blue light, making Rasha screech in pain from behind them.

"Juna!" the Red Witch screamed in hatred. "Will you always stand between me and my beloved? Will your petty jealousy always make you try and take him from me?"

Small red pellets of pure energy came ricochetting at Quistis, blocked only by a Protect before she summoned a Thundaga, forcing her opponent back. She knew that this could only delay matters as she faced an extremely powerful sorceress and all of her training and discipline could only do much against the living power housed within that body.

The two women continued to trade magical blows back and forth, deflecting and evading as they could. Even with the aid of her whip at her side, Quistis knew she was in a losing fight. She was going to exhaust her supply of spells before Rasha even began to feel the beginnings of fatigue. Neither of them expected to feel the strength of power that rained down from the hilltop. Looking over her shoulder, Quistis could see the tall, statuesque form of Quara standing tall, silhouetted in the same blue light that she had previously emitted.

"Time to go!" Quistis shouted, throwing one of Seifer's arms over her shoulder and half hauling him away from the fight while his legs feebly tried to hold his own weight up. She didn't even look back to see if Rasha was pursuing them, only aware of trying to save what she could.

Quara's power took Rasha by surprise and the Red Witch fled back into the darkness to avoid brushing against the Blue power. Until she had Hyne back by her side, she had no desire for a direct confrontation with a mature and trained Blue Sorceress. But now she had to find herself a new vessel - one that had already had the influence of the Red supplanted into their very body and soul.

At the top of the hill, Quistis was grateful to dump Seifer's bruised body onto a waiting blanket while she sank down to her knees in exhaustion. Looking at no other, she stared up at Quara, who had immediately knelt down next to her daughter in concern.

"Thank you," Quistis whispered before exhaustion finally overtook her and she passed out.


	8. An Offer

Author Notes: In this chapter I've paid tribute to FF6 with regards to a creature of legend. A quick google search gave me the location of where this creature came from and lo and behold, it became the name of the creature. I've personally never played 6 so apologies if it doesn't fit canon.

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 8: An Offer

"We've been 'surveilling' for two weeks and there's been no change," Seifer complained as he lay in the cold Trabian snow on his stomach, looking down at the burnt out remains of what had once been a quaint and hidden little village. "Rasha hasn't come back. In fact, no one has seen head or tail of that bitch since she brought down the darkness."

It was true, Quistis mused to herself as she lay next to Seifer. In some unknowable feat of magic, Rasha (none of them had the heart to even speak Rinoa's name anymore) had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but darkness. Even more than darkness, none of their radio communication or other electronics were working. She found herself completely cut off and in a world she did not know. If the entire world were facing this shut down, it could have catastrophic long term side effects.

"Let's get back to base camp," Quistis whispered as she gently eased herself back, away from line of sight to the dead village before standing back up. Seifer followed suit and the two turned to hike it back to the temporary camp that had been created. Using pieces of the fallen Ragnarok, they'd been able to build solid fortifications. Even though Selphie had been suffering from a severe concussion and had to be careful, she was still an asset to the building team. They had several small huts and a barricade to defend against both the wildlife and the environment itself.

As they walked, Quistis kept a surreptitious eye on Seifer, whose blond hair had already grown back out when he'd chopped his hair short, watching his movements to ensure that he was recovering properly. With no trained field medic on the team, she had been sharing the duties with Quara who knew more about herbal healing than anyone else. As a cadet, she had spent some time with Doctor Kadowaki, enjoying the older woman's teaching methods and bright, warm office. Now she was grateful for the hours with the good doctor as it had likely saved some lives.

"Stop it," Seifer growled suddenly. "Stop watching me like I'm a porcelain doll about to break."

Quistis snorted in reply. "You could be called many things, but porcelain doll would never be one of them," she said with a smile. "But shouldn't you be honored that I'm taking the time to make sure you're okay? My time is in high demand at the moment."

It was all too accurate. Between trying to project authority in their unknown situation and gauge their troubles, she was also moonlighting as a medic and letting hours of her time be monopolized by Quara so she could learn more about the power within her. It was more than paramagic. It was a living, breathing piece of herself that she could no longer ignore. Having come face to face with Rasha and been sorely outmatched, she knew she needed to do more if she and everything she loved was going to survive. Quistis jumped when Seifer swung around, making a striding hop so he could stop in front of her, looking her directly in the eye.

"You have more on your shoulders than you've ever had before," Seifer said sternly. "You don't have time to worry about me. Hell, you shouldn't even be on this recon mission with me. You should be back at camp, staying safe and learning from Quara." His hands balled into fists, the leather of his gloves creaking in the cold. "Damn it, Quistis, you know that I'm dangerous to you now. You should be staying as far away from me as you can. Ultimecia could use me like a puppet because of the power she gave me. It's probable that Rasha could do the same fucking thing. What's to stop her from making me cut your throat while we're out here in the wilderness and no one else is around?" He inhaled a sharp breath, his green eyes half crazed by his anger. "Are you too stupid to even understand what it would do to me if _I_ were the one who killed you?"

Quistis met his steely gaze for seconds before looking away. "You're right," she whispered. "The danger Rasha poses is too great for me to pretend that things can be the same. But…" She looked back up, her blue eyes flashing with power. "Don't think you could ever take me, Almasy. Red power or not, I could own your ass."

Seifer's huff was a combination of his residual anger and humor as he reached out, grasping Quistis' face in his fingers. "You damned infuriating woman," he growled. He stroked her soft skin, feeling the cold even through his gloves. "Because of the Red power, I have an occasional link to Rasha. Do you know what I felt that night I confronted her? I felt Rinoa giving up on life. She thought she had killed Squall and she didn't want to fight to go back to a world where he was gone. And I feel the same way. As long as you're safe, I'll fight anything and everything to avoid being transformed in to Hyne." He could feel the next words building in his chest and tried to hold them back with a gentle kiss to her forehead. "If I lost you, there'd be no more reason to fight against it."

They hadn't directly discussed their relationship, each in fear of destroying the companionable ease they felt with each other, but in this new world of darkness, Seifer knew he could die and he didn't want it to happen without letting her know just how much she meant to him.

Quistis' cheeks flushed under his words, but her heart glowed all the same. "I won't let her take you," she said again. "I won't, because without you, there's no more light in this world for me. So to save them, I need to save you first."

Seifer's grip on her face tightened a little more and he kissed her, pressing her back against a nearby tree to allow them both more leverage. Neither of them told the whole truth of the true depth of their feelings. They didn't speak the three words to make things official, but they didn't need to. They could feel it in each other, with each beat of their hearts that beat in unison.

" _If I lost you, there'd be no more reason to fight against it…"_

The Red Witch raged through the dark spaces of the world, her power taking her the darkest, emptiest corners of space as she just waited. Until she could revive Hyne, she had no purpose in this world. And so she floated through the dark spaces, reveling in coming home to her power and a young body. She knew that she would eventually need to return to the dig site to recover the essence of Hyne, but until she had her vessel, willing or otherwise, she would just need to wait.

Her anger finally burned out, she lay on her back and stared at the swirling stars, pouting petulantly that things could never go her way. Was she not the prettier, more talented sister? Why did things always have to go Juna's way? Why did the pale bitch always have to try and steal the ones that Rasha wanted? Even when they were children, Juna had taken the love that she wanted. The love of their parents, the love of their friends. Always plotting, always pretending that she actually cared about others. Peh. She cared about others! So what if Alexa wanted help on a day when she wanted to preen in the Market at boys. Whatever if she had preferred the company of a visiting merchant son instead of a friend she had known all of her life. Why did those things matter so much?

And now Juna was doing it again. He was such a handsome man with his clear green eyes and chiseled jaw. His had the body of a warrior, of a powerful leader that others could follow. His was a body that Hyne would deem worthy to house his spirit. Though there were other vessels in the world that carried enough of the Red power that she could finish the spell, she wanted _that_ one. He was the best, and even more, she wanted to prove herself better than Juna for once in their lives.

"Come to me, my red knight," Rasha whispered into the night. "Bend the knee and serve me faithfully and you shall be rewarded beyond anything you could ever imagine."

There was no response. She couldn't feel the Red presence as actively as she once could. She turned her power outward, seeking out the one she wanted, letting the Red power bubble within him, answering her call. She could feel the cold biting his skin, but it didn't matter. He was caught up in the sensations of the body. Cold, pale skin was pressed against his, hot, hurried breaths coupled as two hearts pounded in a wild beat together.

"Seifer…" Rasha could hear the passionate whisper as if it were in her own ear.

His hands gripped flesh hard enough to bruise but it only caused the woman more pleasure as she cried out his name again over and over again.

Rasha wanted to feel his hands on her body, wanted to hear him whisper her name as they both came down from bliss. She wanted to feel him hold her tightly against his muscular chest in a moment of happiness of just being together.

But no. It was _her_ again. She screamed angrily into the night, throwing her power to the wind. "AWAKEN, MY PETS. Make her suffer the way she has hurt me again and again."

Xu couldn't quite tell what had changed in the four hours that Seifer and Quistis had been gone on patrol, but she could feel a difference in the way they regarded each other. She was no fool to not see how the two looked at each other when they thought no one was looking, but she had assumed that Quistis was too smart to get involved with such a man if she had any sort of ambitions beyond Commander of Galbadia Garden. Even that would be ruined if it ever happened. Galbadians were slow to forgive or forget any slight given to them and Seifer Almasy had a lot to atone for.

Shaking her head because it was none of her business, she turned back to helping Selphie do repairs on one of the huts. "How much longer?" she asked.

"Just a few… gimme a sec…" Despite her injuries, mostly internal, Selphie had demanded to be a part of the building process and not stay laid up in bed. They needed as many hands up and moving as possible, she had argued quite accurately. Leave the bedrest for those who actually needed it. "There, done!"

The bubbly brunette stepped back and nodded in approval. They'd managed to create a central hut with as much of the plexiglass that hadn't shattered on impact to give it as much of a view of the encampment as possible. Lifted up high on a platform, it provided a good view of the surrounding area, giving them time in case of an attack.

Xu nodded her approval, pleased with the construction thus far. Rubbing her arm absently, she looked over at Selphie. "How's Zell doing?" she asked mildly.

The bubliness immediately died. "He's doing better," she said slowly. "Without Quisty and Quara, he probably would have died from the shock. But he's hanging in there. He's strong. Definitely one of the strongest people I've ever met. He'll survive and he'll walk. But that's probably it. Maybe with Doctor Kadawaki on hand, it could've…" Selphie shook her head. "Can't linger on the maybes. For now, we'll just have to be happy with he's alive."

Xu could remember Zell as a cadet, so full of energy and happy with life. She'd never met someone so enthusiastic about just being able to experience life. And his abilities as a martial artist had taken her breath away. Not being able to see him flip his way around the whole of Garden's hallways ever again would be difficult to swallow.

"Are you and he…?" Xu asked curiously.

Selphie gave a pained smile. "I don't know. I mean, how could I leave him now? He's lost everything. What kind of person would that make me?"

Xu winced. This was not exactly her area of expertise. She was typically the love them then leave them kind of woman when she took leave. "I don't know if staying with someone out of a sense of duty is the right way to go," she finally said. "You should talk to Quistis about this."

The two women stood together awkwardly, looking out over the snowy plains. As Xu was about to suggest going down and getting some food, she felt something hit her hard, knocking the breath from her body, even as she hit the ground.

"Xu, Xu!" Selphie cried frantically, crouching down next to her and scanning the area for any sort of attack.

Xu gasped for breath, trying to shake the sense of dread she could feel. "Fenrir. Narshe," she whispered in a monotone voice, almost like a trance, before passing out.

"QUISTIS! QUISTIS!" Selphie shouted at the top of her lungs, checking Xu's pulse. By the time the blonde arrived at the top of the stairs, Seifer and Quara immediately behind her, she could at least say that Xu was not dead.

"I don't know, Xu just passed out. We were talking then she suddenly fell on the ground like she was having a fit and said Fenrir and Narshe before passing out," Selphie babbled. "Her pulse is okay but she won't wake up. Won't even respond to a potion or magic."

Quistis immediately looked to Quara, who nodded. "Fenrir and Narshe were the two guardians of the ice," she explained. "According to the legend of my people, they were the servants of the Old Gods but it is possible that Rasha has pulled from her own personal upbringing to recruit creatures to do her bidding. I can't say I understand Xu's reaction, however."

"Seifer, take Xu downstairs to the medical hut. We'll make sure she's comfortable and wait until she wakes up," Quistis ordered. "Selphie, light the fires to signal all recon teams back immediately. I don't know what's coming but I'll be damned if I let Rasha catch us by surprise again. Tell everyone to be at their posts and prepared for incoming."

Quistis turned back out to the dark white fields. "What's coming?" she asked quietly of Quara who came to stand next to her.

Quara hesitated for a moment. "Fenrir, the White Wolf. Narshe, the Ice Dragon."

"GFs?" Quistis queried. "We've faced GFs before," but not without her friends by her side, she added silently in her head. Selphie couldn't go in to active battle with the concussion. Zell wouldn't even put weight on his leg yet. She needed Irvine to control the base and protect the injured. It didn't leave many people who could actively fight.

"Perhaps you could call them GFs but not in the traditional sense of the word," Quara replied. "These are creatures of legend who were summoned by the Gods to protect the people of the snow. They guarded the borders of the ice and kept evil away. If Rasha has used her magic to make legend flesh then you should be cautious."

Quistis tilted her head curiously to the side, "Why?"

"The magic infuses with the legend. The story in the heart of the creator," Quara explained. "From what I understand, most of your Guardian Forces would have come from these old legends and drawn in to life by the will of a sorceress. Once their sorceress died, they would lend their power to whoever else they deemed worthy."

"So then why would Fenrir and Narshe be different?" Quistis asked impatiently.

"Because these are new. They are fresh. They have the legend behind them and have not grown old." Seeing the blank look on Quistis' face, Quara tried a different approach. "These creatures are born from legend and so the better known the legend is, the stronger they would be. Freshly created, the legend about them would still have to be strong, making them stronger than what you would see for the Fallen Fire God, or the Ice Princess from centuries past."

"But how could the legend be strong when I've never even heard of them?" Quistis demanded.

"Child, you've been gone from the white lands for a long time," Quara said with a sad smile. "The people native of Trabia grew up with these stories. They are still strong in our hearts."

"Damn it," Quistis muttered. "Alright. Strong. Fast. Big legend. Can you tell me anything else about them?"

Quara thought about it. "The legends says that they were once brothers who defended Trabia against a long darkness. They sacrificed their human forms to bring the light back to the people."

"Ironic, huh," Quistis muttered to herself as she scanned the darkness. Since the true awakening of her power, her eyesight had grown keener, her other senses sharper and more honed. In the far distance, she thought she could see something coming toward them but it was moving so fast that it was hard to make a distinction. Whatever it was, if it was truly the danger, it would be here soon enough.

"Can I take these monsters on?" Quistis finally asked.

Quara's smile was grim. "You have learned faster than I would have thought possible, but you still have so much to learn. I believe that you have the innate talent and knowledge to destroy them if you try hard enough. But there is still one more thing that you are missing, my sweet child."

"And that is?"

"Why, a knight, silly girl," Quara said with an empty laugh. "A sorceress needs a knight to help ground the power you possess and help you not be overwhelmed by the immensity of what you carry inside of you. Without a knight, you will never truly be able to tap in to all of yourself."

Quistis had a cross look. "Then what about you? Where's your knight?"

For the first time, harsh sorrow overcame Quara's impassive face. "My knight died in that village, Quistis. And with it died my full potential. I can't dare raise the level of power I have before without his presence or the results could be poor."

"But… we've been here for weeks and you haven't said anything about losing someone in the village," Quistis protested. "Was he…?"

"Your father? Yes," Quara said bluntly. "I've lost my entire family now, Quistis, with the exception of you. My mother. My sisters. My husband. They are all dead now. They died fighting against Rasha. I've said nothing because I will honor them by seeing Rasha finally defeated for good. Speaking of my grief will not bring them back, nor will it make any of these circumstances any better for us."

Quistis felt as though she had been punched in the gut. Her father had been in that village and died. A grandmother. Aunts. They had all been there and she was now denied more of a family because of it.

"Look at me, Quistis," Quara's voice was sharp. "You will grieve, but you will move on. You have to. Our family became what they are because we were able to look past the small slights and focus on the greater good. Juna looked past watching her lover killed before her eyes to do what was right. To protect her daughter and leave before Hyne could get his claws into her. You are our hope for light to once again shine in our world. Hold on to that."

Quistis nodded silently, trying to pull herself out of her own head. When Seifer reemerged up the stairs, it all seemed a lot easier. His handsome face, so beautiful, so arrogant. His very presence calmed her, gave her better focus on the real task at hand. Without a word, he came up next to her, taking one of her hands in his.

"What's the plan now, Commander?" Seifer asked mildly. "Got Brak and Joyce ready to roll with us, wherever we're headed."

Her brows lifted slightly. "We're going somewhere?" Quistis replied just as mildly.

"Figured these beasts are either tracking you or tracking me because of the Red power in me," Seifer mused. "If we remove ourselves from the encampment, we can at least keep our fortifications in place for the wounded and give ourselves a place to retreat to if absolutely necessary, rather than get holed up here and get stuck in a siege."

Seifer's words made sense in her head, which scared her. "The crash site. We've still got equipment stored there so we won't be without support but it's far enough away that no one should get hurt in the crossfires. We've also got some defensive positions there because they'll need to maneuver through all of the wreckage."

"Get everyone equipped and rations to last four days," Quistis directed before she looked back at Quara. "Stay here with Irvine and keep things under control. Protect these people the best that you can."

The small group departed from the base and made the hard trek back to the Crash Site at a run, each carrying a pack with rations, supplies and the limited equipment that would still work. They went to work immediately to make the place as defensible as possible without looking too conspicuous.

"This is going to have to be guerilla warfare," Quistis said quietly, kneeling in the snow. "Brak, you and Seifer are going to head to the trees and keep watch. Wait until they get past you to attack from behind. Joyce, you take position in the Ragnarok itself. It will keep you a little higher and its shell should protect you from most of the attacks. Bust out one of the windows so you can rain fire spells down on them once they're in this central area. Quara said they're Ice creatures so we want to adjust Junctions as needed to defend."

"And what about you?" Seifer asked tightly. He didn't like not keeping her in his sight. She had a very bad habit of putting her team before herself and he wanted to ensure that she didn't do anything stupid.

"I'm going to be here, holed up in the rock system to give myself a little protection and draw them in," Quistis replied. "It's likely that they're looking for me. I hold the Blue power and as much as I can feel Rasha from time to time, it's likely that she feels me."

"You're still leaving yourself open for attack," Seifer argued. "It's stupidity to be the bait when you're the only one who can defeat Rasha."

"And how am I supposed to beat her if I can't even take on her little pets?" Quistis retorted. "So this is as much testing to see if I will ever stand a chance against this evil, or if we should all just give up and get used to living in a world like this."

Seifer ground his teeth silently and just jerked his head in acceptance. He gathered up Brak and trudged himself off to his ordered position. This was her fight and there was nothing he could do about it, no matter what he wanted.

As everyone dispersed to their positions, Quistis took a deep breath, trying to empty her mind of the worry and fear she felt. Instead, she focused her thoughts on Rasha, wondering where the woman was hiding.

All she could feel was darkness and rage, but the link still lingered.

 _Quisty_ … a voice whispered in her mind. _Help me, please._

"Rinoa?" Quistis looked around wildly for the dark haired girl but there was no one there.

 _Let the pain end…_

Grief swamped through Quistis and then she knew. It was through the link she held with Rasha. Because Rinoa had been absorbed as a part of the Red Witch, she now held a link with whatever was left of Rinoa.

"Hang in there, Rinoa. Don't let her win," Quistis whispered into the darkness. "Fight back."

 _Fool._ The voice was no longer Rinoa's. _You think you can win against me? You think that pathetic child could ever overtake my power? Face me alone, Juna, and let this stupid struggle end. Is it not pre-ordained by your own prophesy that we shall meet?_

"Nothing is pre-ordained, Rasha," Quistis replied hotly.

 _Everything is pre-ordained. Did you not see that I would rise again? Did you not force your own children to take up your mantle to distort the facts. You are the enemy. You are the evil. All of the war, all of the conflict could end under Hyne. He would bring eternal peace and prosperity to this world,_ Rasha replied. _End hunger. End sickness. That is what is within his power. Why do you fight this?_

"For free will," Quistis said quietly. "For the chance to learn and grow. Without it, we are mindless thralls for your entertainment."

There was a long silence before Rasha finally sighed. _They are coming…_

Scrambling to her feet, Quistis climbed the cluster of rocks to get a better look into the distance. She could see the rapidly approaching form of a giant wolf, at least the height of two chocobos, its fur a deep indigo at its roots that lightened to frosty white at the tips. Above it flew the white Ice dragon, Narshe.

To help guide them in, she emitted a small pulse of her magic, illuminating her power and renewing her vitality all at once. The creatures immediately honed in on it, their pace doubling to reach her. As soon as they passed by the treeline, she could hear the staccato shots of weapons being fired at the creatures backs. It did no good, nor divert them from their main target: her.

Quistis swore quietly but waited until they sprung her second trap, the constant barrage of Firaga spells. The magic sizzled against their hides but seemed to do no damage, just mild discomfort as Fenrir snaked his great head about and snapped in the Ragnarok's direction. But he did not alter course.

She knew that it would come to this. She knew that it would come down to her unleashing her power. But despite all of the lessons, all of the deep discussions, Quara could not fully explain how it would unleash and in what form. It came down to each individual person to manipulate the power into their own being.

In the seconds before the creatures would be upon her, Quistis thought back to her entire life. She had always viewed magic as a wondrous gift, even as a small child when she wanted to be a sorceress and played sorceress and knight with Seifer on the beach of their childhood home. As she grew older, it led her to be intrigued by the dead art of Blue Magic. Blue Mages had been a thing of the Centra guard. Utilizing the power of the monsters against their enemies. Devastating attacks when they came from a human body, but so dangerous and volatile because of it. Learning Blue Magic and blending it with her superior paramagic casting had made her a SeeD. Becoming the best is what had made her exceptional.

As Fenrir arrived and launched an attack against her with the mighty strength of his jaws, Quistis silently cast Haste on herself and dodged the attack, raising her whip to strike the sharp barbs against the creature's sensitive nose. It snarled in pain. At the same time, Narshe screeched from above, diving down with an explosive Dragon Breath.

Quistis cast Shell and Protect, leaping backward with a combination of Float and Aero to carry her high into the air as the ground shook in the after-effects. As she cast Dispel to end the effects of Float, she flattened her body into a tight projectile, coming down as an arrow cutting through the wind, her hand out. In the final seconds before she came on top of the creatures, she cast a quick Flare, using the backlash of energy hitting the creatures' shields so hard to bounce back into the air, tucking her body into a quick somersault to land safely back on her feet.

The Flare spell had hit Narshe hard in one wing and the white dragon's roar in agony echoed through the plains. The great dragon launched himself back up into the air, one wing badly damaged but still enough to keep him afloat and circling.

In base camp, a solitary figure lay in an all too busy sickroom cot, a hand covering their eyes. Their thoughts were turned inward, at the heresy of using the legendary icons of Narshe and Fenrir as wild pets for a murderous witch.

"Away," a voice whispered. "Away to fight again another day."

Quistis watched in amazement as Narshe lifted himself off the ground and after circling, trumpeted loudly and disappeared into the clouds. Fenrir snarled and snapped once but then with its great muscled body, flung itself into the sky to disappear alongside Narshe. In the distance, she could hear the whooping cries in excitement of her team as they came running toward her.

"Did you see that attack! I've never seen anyone use magic like that in my life!" Joyce was screaming in delight, his whole face lit up with glowing praise for Quistis. Her display of power had left him in awe and more than a little starstruck by the Commander he had sneered at for years while she served at Galbadia Garden. He'd considered her an eyecandy hire, using her fame and appearance to boost the reputation of Garden but doubting her personal abilities.

Seifer, for his part, had no words as he plucked the blonde woman straight up off her feet and spun her around. Unlike the two other SeeD with them, he had seen the truth. The creatures were injured but she hadn't truly defeated them. Something else had drawn them away.

"Brak, you and Joyce set up a perimeter so we can have an alert if anything comes at us. We're going to stay here for another day or so, just in case they come back," Quistis ordered breathlessly as she smacked Seifer to let her down. Intuition told her that they wouldn't be back. They had other things to do for their mistress. But now they'd gotten the scent of her, felt her power, and when they did return, they would be ready for her. The question would be, would she be ready for them at their next encounter.

Watching Brak and Joyce depart, Seifer finally placed Quistis back on the ground, though he did not relinquish one arm from around her. Beneath her SeeD uniform that she'd managed to keep clean and wrinkle free despite their weeks of isolation, he could feel her trembling. Unlike the other SeeDs, he had felt the clash of powers down to his very bones, possibly from the lingering remains of the Red power trapped within his body. As he gently brushed a finger against the cold skin at her neck, he felt a spark.

"Sit down," Seifer finally ordered. She had been staring silently toward the horizon since the others had left and he worried all he had with him was an empty shell.

"Hmm?" Quistis murmured, her eyes finally refocusing on his face. "Oh, right." She gently sank down onto an old tree stump, watching Seifer drag old pieces of wood together into a neat pile and then casting a fire spell to bring warmth to the area.

Kneeling in front of Quistis, Seifer took her hands in his. "How bad was it?" he asked quietly.

"Bad?"

"You know what I mean."

Hesitation. "It was bad. I used everything I had to push them back, but it was the paramagic, not any sorceress power. I don't know how to use the power."

"Quara didn't tell you anything that could help? I thought she was supposed to be training you."

"She… she said that it's different from woman to woman so training is more difficult than it might seem," Quistis replied slowly. "She's been trying to get me to open up to feel my power inside of me and in quiet moments, I can feel it beneath the surface but I don't know how to tap into it."

"I can't believe generations of women in your family have been tapping in to it just fine and you of all people are stuck," Seifer retorted hotly. "You need to find the power or else Rasha-"

"-I know exactly what Rasha could do to me," Quistis snapped, her blue eyes burning. "I know that without being able to summon up the power of Juna, I'm as good as dead in any real encounter." She raked her fingers through her hair, pulling it from its tidy fishtail and tangling around her slender digits. "Quara said the best way to channel my power was with the bond of a Knight. It's how Rinoa started to learn control over her power. It's how every woman in my family mastered their gifts." She turned her angry eyes on Seifer. "So how about it? You want to be my knight?"

"Never again, Quistis," came Seifer's whispered reply. "I swore, never again."


	9. The Trabian Stand

Author Notes: I am glad to be able to bring you the next Chapter for A Call of Tomorrow. I hope that people are still enjoying my story. I, for one, have been running around in circles, trying to figure out where I am heading and hoping that I'm not writing myself into knots that I can't unwind in my conclusion. I hope that everyone has a very Happy New Year and perhaps I can finish this in 2019!

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 9: The Trabian Stand

Quistis heaved a sigh of relief as they finally passed through the barricades and into the safe embrace of base camp. Seeing the concern in Quara's eyes the moment they trudged through the gates, she just shook her head and departed for the central hut, climbing the ladder to isolate herself on the second floor where she could have a panoramic view of the entire plains.

She had accepted Seifer's denial with a tight smile and assurances that she understood but it hadn't stopped the slowly festering wound in her heart. She had loved two men in her life and both had given themselves over to the Red. What would it take for someone to not be seduced by the flamboyant power housed within those sorceresses? What would it take for someone to just look at Quistis and want to accept what she offered?

Quistis stared into the distant horizon for what seemed like days, lost in her own thoughts, until a gentle clearing of the throat brought her back to reality. Seeing the tall silhouette in the glass, she turned, expecting the cropped blond hair and green eyes of Seifer, but was surprised by Irvine's auburn waves and caring caramel eyes. The cowboy looked tired but in control of himself, something she found herself envying.

"Coming to report?" Quistis asked, her gentle voice cutting through the constant wind that forever whistled over the higher reaches of Trabia.

"Coming to check on a friend," Irvine replied. "I grabbed Seifer to hear what happened and maybe a little unwillingly, he told me."

Quistis shrugged. "The mission was a success. We were able to scare the creatures away but it won't be permanent. We need to find a better way to protect ourselves or at least get out of Trabia. We've been cut off from everyone for weeks and if we're going to survive, we need to get back to the others." But inside, a fire burned at the back of her throat. There wasn't much left of the "others" or of the family she had built. Squall was likely dead. Rinoa possessed by an evil Witch. Zell was crippled and Selphie still reeling from her injuries.

"He said you asked him to be your knight," Irvine said. There were no other thoughts on his mind at the moment. All he could feel was resolve. "He said that he refused because of the Red power." He paused, just watching Quistis' face darken. "He said without the strength of a knight, you'd fail. You'd die and we'd all be doomed to this life of darkness under the rule of a cruel god."

"I'd kind of like to avoid the life of darkness under Hyne…" Irvine continued. "So let me be your knight instead."

Quistis froze, looking up into Irvine's soft brown eyes with momentary shock and confusion. "But… Selphie…" she stuttered out.

Irvine paused before a warm laugh erupted past his lips. "Hyne, no, I didn't mean it in a sexual way, Quisty," he said, shaking his head emphatically. He reached over, taking Quistis' hand and drawing her close enough to sling an arm around her shoulder as he pointed them back out toward the distant horizon.

"You have a huge responsibility in front of you and from the little Seifer told me, you need someone that can help you open up your power," Irvine said, his cheek resting against her golden head. "Quara says a bond is formed between a knight and sorceress when they have a common goal and are willing to share their life. It doesn't necessarily mean that it needs to be sexual. I love you like I would love a sister and if I can provide you with the emotional support you need to summon your power then that's what I'd like to do."

Quistis leaned in against Irvine's warmth, pondering his words. It was true that a knight and sorceress didn't necessarily need the sexual component to be bound to one another. There were cases throughout history of sorceresses who let the bond form for many reasons but the most romanticized version obviously came from two people falling in love and sharing one heart and one mind. She smiled wistfully. "It's sweet of you to offer, Irvine, but it'd be dangerous. Rasha would likely be threatened more seriously if she realized I'd formed a bond with a knight."

Irvine raised a brow. "Can you honestly say that we aren't living in a dangerous time now?" he asked. "Let me do this for you. We already trust each other, which I've heard is the most important part of the process."

Quistis leaned against the railing, looking down over their encampment. With her keen eyesight, she could see Seifer walking from the barracks toward the medical hut, his arms swinging back and forth. "The bonds are for life. You realize that, don't you? You'll carry the Blue power with you until the day you die. Just like Seifer. Just like Squall…"

Irvine nodded, squeezing Quistis' shoulders again. "I know and I'll live with my decisions, no matter what that means."

Selphie stared up at the briefing room with anxious emerald eyes, her fingers twisting together in painfully intricate patterns. Up there, Quistis and Irvine were forging the sorceress and knight bond. Even though she'd been reassured multiple times that it had nothing to do with a sexual attraction, she still couldn't help feel a twinge of jealousy at the idea that they would share their lives from that moment onward.

"Selph, you should come inside," Zell encouraged, rolling forward in the wheelchair they'd dug out of the Ragnarok's debris. He glanced up at the only two story building in the camp and shook his head. "You shouldn't worry about it so much… it's not gonna change him. If I… If I could still walk, I woulda offered to do it for Quistis myself but what good is a cripple in a fight like this." He couldn't keep the bitterness and resentment hidden away. Not from her.

"Do you think it all could have been different?" Selphie asked softly. "If we hadn't gone to Trabia. Do you think if we'd all stayed together, we could have gotten through this better? Maybe Squall and Rinoa... " She bit her lower lip in an effort to hold back her tears. "Maybe we could have done something so that we all would still be here…"

"Second guessing is a useless way to pass the time, Tilmitt," Seifer's voice was rough from his own silent grief. He knew what was going on up there. He'd half encouraged Irvine to make the offer to give Quistis a chance but it didn't mean it sat well with him. "I spent enough time doing it and it got me nowhere."

Zell bristled in his chair at Seifer's harsh tone. "Shut your mouth, Seifer. She's got every right to wonder."

Seifer's glare burned with his own regrets. "All it's gonna do is hurt and keep her from focusing on the now. How's that going to help anyone?"

Selphie lifted a hand to silence Zell's further arguments. "Why didn't you just do it?" she asked. "I know you two had something going on, so why couldn't you do it for her? You've already been a knight so wouldn't you be better suited for it than Irvy anyway?"

Ignoring the comments about his relationship with Quistis, Seifer just shook his head. "I can't," he said simply. "I was a knight to a red sorceress. The power brands you in such a way that I can't accept the power from a Blue sorceress." He swallowed hard. "Besides, she deserves someone good for her knight. Someone she can trust. They may not be in love but Irvine would keep her safe."

They fell into silence and watched as Quara finally emerged from the briefing room and descended the stairs before walking off toward the medical hut. A few moments later, Quistis and Irvine emerged. They spoke together at the top of the stairs before coming down and parting ways, Quistis also toward the medical hut and Irvine to join their group.

As the tall cowboy approached, he dipped the brim of his hat a little lower, averting his gaze as to not meet anyone's eyes.

"How do you feel, Irvy?" Selphie asked hesitantly.

"Ahh… a little weird," Irvine replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Like there's something running around my head but I can't quite catch it or figure out what it is."

Seifer shuddered a little. He remembered all too well that feeling. It was a part of the link between sorceress and knight, only Ultimecia had made full use of having a link to his mind. Offering punishments and rewards depending on what he'd done. He imagined that Quistis would be much gentler in her use of touching her knight's mind, always ensuring that her visitations were welcomed and as unobtrusive as possible.

"Anyway, Quistis wants everyone to be on alert," Irvine continued, trying to mask the uncomfortable silence from everyone. "She's pretty sure that Rasha will know that she's taken a knight and that she'll want to attack us before Quisty fully figures out what she's doing. And, uh, Seifer… she wanted to see if you'd be willing to join her in the medical tent. She wanted to talk to you about a few things."

Seifer grunted a response but turned with resignation to trudge after her.

"Always loved how articulate that guy was," Zell muttered with a roll of his eyes.

It brought a snort of laughter from Irvine and the two men grinned at each other before letting it fade away.

"Uh… I should, um… go somewhere else," Zell mumbled, rolling himself toward the main gate.

Selphie watched him go in silence, rubbing one leg against the back of the other. "I should…"

"You should stay and talk to me about this, Selphie," Irvine said forcefully. He reached out, cradling the delicate woman's cheek in his gloved hand, his thumb swiping across her sloping cheekbone. "I'm still the same man that I've always been."

"But bound to one of my best friends in an irreversible way," Selphie replied. "I know it's not sexual but how am I supposed to feel comfortable when the two of you are linked so intimately. She'll know your thoughts way better than I ever could. How can I compete with a woman like that?"

"Selphie…" Irvine drew her closer, wrapping her up in the warmth of his Dragon leather coat. "How could you think that any woman could compare to you?" he asked, kissing her temple. "There is no one more compassionate, intelligent or beautiful than you are. There is no other woman that I could love or want to spend the rest of my life with. My one greatest regret is that I didn't tell you that when I had that chance."

He could feel the moisture of Selphie's tears sinking through his shirt, chilling his skin, but it didn't matter. All that was important to him was that he could feel her gentle breath where his shoulder met his neck and the fluttering heartbeat on his chest. "I know it's way too late, but I love you."

"I love you too, Irvy…" Selphie whispered. "Things are just so messed up right now. I… I really care about Zell. You know that. But it-it's not the same as being with you. I always knew that you were my soulmate. From all the way back when we were at the orphanage."

His grip around the small woman tightened until she squeaked. Irvine buried his face in her soft brown hair, inhaling her scent. "Marry me. I don't want to spend another day without you. I know things are complicated and you've got Zell and I made a promise to Quistis but nothing and no one is more important to me than you. I can't face what is coming without knowing that I have you."

Selphie's heart raced under her breast as a thousand answers popped in and out of her head. On the one hand, she wasn't sure what accepting a proposal would do to Zell. They'd all promised to put things to the side until the threat was dealt with but deep down, she knew that her love for Irvine would always eclipse anything she could have with Zell. And that led straight in to the other argument that she loved Irvine with all of her heart and she also wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

"What about Zell?" Selphie finally responded. "I want to say yes, Irvy, but…"

"Let me talk to him," Irvine cut in, his cheek rubbing gently against her soft hair. "We won't do it without his blessing. But more than anything else, I think he would want you to be happy, Selph. He's too good of a person to want to stand in your way."

 _Irvine?_ He could feel Quistis' puzzlement through their link. She had likely responded to his accelerated heartbeat and the anxiety that had washed through his entire body. They had agreed to try and mind each other's privacy to the best of their ability but his heart was racing so badly that it was no wonder she had reached out to him.

Feeling his sudden tension, Selphie looked up quizzically. "Irvy?" she whispered, trying to look in to his slightly glazed eyes.

Calming his thoughts, he focused on the vision of Quistis and could already see the concern wrinkling her brow, with her head cocked ever so slightly to the side. _Don't worry, Quisty. It's happy news, I hope. We can talk in a little while._

Once he felt her acknowledgment, he looked down to the confused bundle in his arms. "It's alright, Selph. It was Quistis confused at all of the changes in my feelings."

Selphie's smile was rigid but she nodded. Was this what their marriage would be like? Quistis always in between them? She didn't regret wanting to marry Irvine but she feared what the future would be. Though she also knew that without Irvine and Quistis linked, there might not be much of a future for her to look forward to.

"Let me find Zell first, and then you and I can talk more," Irvine said, kissing her forehead gently as he reluctantly let her go. "I know that there's a lot we need to deal with but I know that we can find a way to make this all work. We _can_ have a happy life."

Zell had wheeled himself just outside of the main gates, wanting a private moment away from the sympathetic looks and gentle words meant to take the sting out of his injuries. He knew that everyone was just trying to be kind but it didn't make him feel better. All it did was serve as a reminder to the injuries that had crippled him. Quara promised that with time and work, he'd be able to walk again. But his days as a martial artist were over. He'd need to find a new life for himself if this end of the world situation was ever dealt with. That he'd have to sit on the sidelines and watch as his friends undoubtedly charged in to the danger only made it worse. Hot bitterness bubbled in his stomach as it always did. Why did all of this have to happen to him?

The crunching boots in the snow told him that someone was coming. The languished stride gave it away as Irvine. It was the slight shuffle of the feet that marked the cowboy. SeeDs always moved with a deliberate grace, each foot placed in front of the other for a purpose. But not Irvine. He had always had a carefree confidence about him that Zell had always admired, but now it only annoyed him.

"What do you want, Irvine?" Zell asked shortly. He knew they'd come to some sort of truce in the moment, but it didn't stop him from being resentful of his one time best friend.

The steps came to a halt. "Zell…" His name, said with so much compassion and hesitation ripped a hole in his heart. He knew what it meant. Selphie had finally given in to her feelings and wasn't going to let guilt stand in her way of happiness any longer.

"You'll take care of her, won't you?" Zell breathed out, his eyes squeezing shut to hold back his inner anguish. "You'll guarantee that she's always kept safe, no matter what?"

Irvine stood to one side of the wheelchair, looking down at the shadow of his friend. Gaunt, hair limp, the impressive start of a beard covering his cheeks and chin. "Tell me not to," he implored. "Tell me not to marry Selphie and I won't do it. All you have to do is ask. You've shared a real relationship with her a whole lot longer than I ever did, so you have that right, man. So tell me not to."

Zell pressed his face into his hands, his body limp within the chair. "What kind of man would that make me? I've seen it since we came back to Balamb. She loves you. She always has. Who am I to stand in between the two of you anymore? It never should have been me and Selphie."

Irvine reached out, laying a hand on Zell's shoulder. "You had every right to love her, Zell. And you have every right to tell me to walk away now. If I'd been man enough, I wouldn't have let her leave for Trabia with you in the first place. I should have gone. I should have fought for her. I should have done something instead of tucking my tail between my legs and running away for so many years. But I'm trying to be the man she deserves now, because she's everything to me."

"Just promise me that you'll love her and will stand by her and I'll give you my blessing," Zell mumbled from his hands. "I have nothing left to offer her, so I want her to be happy with the man she's wanted since she was a little kid. I just need to know that she'll be loved."

"She'll be loved," Irvine promised. "And cherished. Always."

Seifer prowled the camp, feeling on edge. He couldn't explain where the unease was coming from, but it had been with him for several hours now. Maybe it was just the knowledge that Quistis had chosen another to be her knight, but it really didn't explain it since he'd encouraged Irvine to do it.

 _What ails you so?_ The voice purred in his head. He could feel cold fingers sliding through his mind, stroking at old memories of a time when he'd been a knight. He could hear the cheers in his head from when he'd stood on a parade float, gunblade flashing as light bounced off of the cold steel. He had been strong then. A powerful warrior with no equal. That had been when he had been the loyal protector of a powerful sorceress. But those days were gone now.

 _You could be that champion again,_ the voice murmured. _You could be unstoppable with the full power of the Red behind you._

Seifer shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts of standing triumphantly over Squall, the sharp edge of Hyperion resting against the SeeD Commander's throat. It had been years since he had thought of Squall as a rival he needed to defeat at all costs. They argued and would always prick at each other, but the dark haired man was his friend, his brother. Their shared childhood at the orphanage was a binding force that had kept all of them together, even when separated on opposite sides of the world.

 _Come to me, my knight_. The voice was soft with seduction, thrumming with a power his body ached for. Perhaps it was the residual Red power that still lived within Seifer that reached out for its magical source, but the craving to find the mysterious voice in his head was almost overwhelming. What was the difference? He'd been hearing this voice, and ignoring it since Rasha's rise. So why was it so irresistible now?

Seifer's hand balled into a fist as he shook his head. "No," he muttered to himself. "I won't go back to that. I won't be that man again." Instead, he tried to turn his thoughts to Quistis. Her calming presence, her gentle smile. He tried to summon every image of her - from when she was his instructor and lectured in front of the class, to her wild and powerful in battle, wisps of golden hair flying free as she swung her whip with powerful strikes. He even thought back to those treasured memories of them laying in bed together, her lean form molded against his body, her hair loosely draped over a pillow.

But the power within him twisted and writhed against his attempts, tarnishing his memories just by touching on them. Seifer's breathing began to grow heavier as he fought against the dark images flashing in his mind. Of Quistis' sharp words as she berated him in class to the pain of her casting her magic on him when they had been enemies. He clung to what was good of their relationship, of their happy moments.

Instead, the power pushed back, dragging to the forefront an image of Quistis standing amidst wreckage and snow, her cheeks flushed. "Will you be my knight?" her voice had been sharp with sarcasm and anger but still filled with a certain hope and longing. He could still hear his own denial in it. Not because he didn't want to protect her with his life but instead because of his fear that he could never be what she wanted him to be. Because he carried a tainted power within him that could be used to hurt her.

 _Why do you fight it, my knight?_ The voice asked. _You know that you are not meant to be with her. The power within you draws you to me. Come to me. Take your place at my side. Fulfill your destiny._

"No!" Seifer growled angrily, punching his fist into a wall.

"Seifer?" Quistis voice sent a calming wave through him, settling the turmoil of emotions, even as fear overtook everything else.

"Stay away from me, Quistis," he warned, holding a hand out in supplication.

He wasn't sure how it happened but a Fire spell bloomed in the palm of his hand without his even summoning it. Without having any say in the matter, his arm swung forward, casting the spell at Quistis with a strong punch of the Red magic behind it.

Automatically, Quistis cast Haste on herself as she leapt back. But she realized too late that the spell wasn't aimed directly at her. It whizzed past her, striking the medical hut with full force, causing a large explosion on the Eastern side.

"Wh… What in the Gods' name are you doing?" Quistis shouted, her hand sliding down to the handle of her whip and uncoiling it from her belt with a quick snap of her wrist. With another snap, the sharp barbs went sailing at Seifer's face but he was all too familiar with her attack sequence to be caught off guard. Hyperion shot up to block the attack as he sent another Fire spell hurtling at the medical hut.

"Seifer… stop!" Quistis begged. She could hear the cries of those all around coming from every direction to try and put the fire out.

Facing the former knight directly, she saw his eyes shift from their normal dark jade to a glowing red. "You've lost, Blue," Seifer's voice taunted. His face was stricken as he met Quistis' gaze, even as he smirked. He spoke a series of words in an unknown tongue before he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Quistis stared at Seifer's lingering footprints, unable to completely comprehend what had happened before she finally registered her name being shouted. Spinning around, she ran toward the medical hut, summoning her power. "WATER!" she shouted as she cast a string of Water spells, aiming them at the fire. They only made the fire sizzle in its heat.

"Quistis!" Irvine shouted, arriving from the west, Selphie in tow. He'd shed his jacket and hat and the edges of his shirt were singed with burns. "Everyone's out but we've got some badly wounded people. We need to get the fire out or else the entire camp could go up."

"Normal spells aren't working on it," Quistis replied a bit desperately. "Where's Quara?"

"Quis… she was in the hut when it got hit," Selphie said sympathetically. "We've got people with her but she was really badly burned."

"Damn it all," Quistis swore hotly. "Okay, paramagic isn't working. Maybe sorceress magic will." She ground her teeth together, trying to calm her mind as she'd been instructed, feeling for the source of magic within her.

Reaching out, she muttered, "Irvine…" and the cowboy immediately took her hand, squeezing reassuringly.

"Ground your power through me," Irvine whispered encouragingly. "Use me to control it within you."

Taking a deep breath, Quistis turned inward, feeling the staccato beat of her magic spinning within her. From her grip on Irvine's hand, she could feel his heartbeat, calm and reassuring. Pushing her will against the wild power, she forced it to begin a rhythm in tune with Irvine's heartbeat, slowing it to her desires. Reaching her free hand outward, she used the magic to summon a raining sheet of water over the hut, snuffing out the flames that had resisted her paramagic so easily

.

"Bring me the wounded," Quistis ordered, never releasing her grip on Irvine's hand, never releasing her concentration on holding the steady beat of her power as it matched her knight.

Burned bodies were brought before her, some with manageable wounds while others looked far worse and were almost unrecognizable. One by one, Quistis was able to cure them all. Scars remained but the lives were saved as melted flesh was slowly mended back together under the strength of her magic.

In total, Quistis healed only six but it had felt more like sixty. Her skin was ghostly white with dark circles under her dim blue eyes. When the final healing was done, Irvine immediately picked her up to deposit her into a warm bed where she could sleep to try and recover some of her vitality.

Watching from just outside of the room, Selphie shook her head. "Why did it take so much out of her?" she asked quietly.

"Quistis uses the magic within her, which saps her vitality with each spell," Irvine explained quietly as he gently tucked a blanket around her. "When we draw or refine paramagic, we retain the essence of the spell within our bodies that is then used when we summon the magic. Sorceress magic relies on the host's body for power, though because of the power within her, she has a deeper well to draw from."

Selphie's eyes were wide. It made sense. Afterall, she was a primary paramagic user herself so she had studied the the theory for years. The idea of summoning power using her own energy as a source seemed impossible. There were days when she'd been an active SeeD when she'd needed to do some heavy casting and it had left her exhausted. Her admiration for Quistis could only grow, even amidst her hidden jealousy.

"How did you learn so much about sorceresses, Irvy?" Selphie asked, cocking her head to the side. Her short brown hair swung with the movement, brushing over her cheek.

"I've been spending a lot of time with Quara since the Ragnarok crashed," Irvine explained, looking back at Selphie with a gentle smile. "Quistis needed help running base operations and she already relies on Quara for a lot of other things so we got pushed together a lot. I started asking her questions to better understand what Quisty was going through and she was willing to talk about it." He shrugged slightly. "I wanted to help Quistis in whatever way I could so we could all get home safely."

Selphie nodded slowly, smiling as Irvine finally left Quistis' side to come stand with her, running his fingers through her hair as the heel of his hand brushed her cheek. Their closeness warmed her heart and she knew she'd made the right decision. Despite all of her time with Zell, Irvine was the man she was meant to be with.

"What happened to Seifer?" Selphie asked in a soft voice. Her eyes drifted back to Quistis, wondering how the other woman was handling his betrayal.

Irvine just shook his head, pulling Selphie in for a hug. "I don't know, Sefie," he replied. "Before today, I would have said that nothing could have made him turn away from Quistis or betray her, but now…? He almost killed Quara. Without Quistis being able to tap in to her power, she would have died from her wounds. I don't know if that's something she'll be able to forgive."

Quistis sat a bedside vigil next to Quara all through the night, not only to keep watch in case she took a turn for the worse, but also to protect her mother. She had no doubt that the sudden attack on the medical hut was an attempt to end Quara's life. Now that she had a knight, Quistis would be a very real threat if her training was allowed to continue and Rasha had proven that she would try and avoid any fight where she did not have the upper hand. But now Rasha had the upper hand. She had Seifer.

'Quistis?" Xu came out of the shadows to rest a hand on her friend's shoulder. The Balamb Lieutenant had just been released from the Medical Hut hours before the attack and had somehow managed to stay safe from the attack.

Turning to look up at Xu, the older woman could see the tears in Quistis' eyes. During the entire debacle, she had stayed strong, proving herself to be a natural leader amidst a crisis, but in the safety of night, she had let down her guard enough to grieve.

"Why would he do it, Xu?" Quistis whispered. "I was certain that Seifer wouldn't betray me. I was sure that he lo... " Her words faded. Speaking her thoughts aloud would only make it hurt worse. "I thought that he had changed from what he once was."

Xu hesitated to answer. She had no real love for Seifer Almasy but she'd also been fairly confident that the man was loyal to Quistis and wouldn't do anything to deliberately cause her harm. "I've got no answers for you, Quis…" she finally spoke. "I'll be damned if I understand any of what you're caught up in but that was not the Seifer Almasy I knew. If nothing else, the bastard would never run from a fight."

Quistis smiled very slightly, but it didn't take the sadness from her eyes. "Maybe so, but if that wasn't Seifer, then what was it? The spells he cast didn't feel right. It wasn't his normal paramagic and it didn't feel like when he was a knight for Ultimecia. It felt… more potent."

"We'll just have to wait and see, Quistis," Xu said. "For now, you can't linger on it. You need to focus on the bigger picture of keeping these people alive and fighting Rasha off. Focus on that, and everything else will just work itself out."

With no light to welcome the dawn, it was always difficult to follow the passing of days but that particular morning felt different. Quistis awoke from her bedside watch over Quara to a sensation of chills running down her first fear was a change in condition for her mother but the older woman remained in a coma-like state, her breathing steady but no sign of her waking up. Her wounds had been so severe that even with Quistis' sorceress powers, it had been touch and go. Her body had used up all of its excess vitality just fighting to stay alive.

 _Irvine?_ Quistis called to her knight. She could feel his confusion and befuddlement, meaning he'd been fast asleep.

 _What's wrong, Quisty?_ Was his slow, but concerned reply.

 _Meet me in the briefing room,_ Quistis requested. After a pause, she added, _Bring Selphie if she's awake._

After receiving an acknowledgment, Quistis checked Quara one more time before leaving the impromptu medical hut and heading for the stairs to the briefing room's high perch to get a better view of the surrounding area. Nothing seemed to break the pale white snow's soft glow in the darkness, but her unease didn't falter.

She heard the pounding of feet running up the stairs and turned to wait for Irvine and Selphie, both of whom looked sleep deprived and groggy.

"I'm sorry for waking you up so early," Quistis apologized. "But something is wrong."

"Is it Rasha?" Selphie piped up.

"My gut says yes, but I can't really say anything else beyond that," Quistis replied. "Maybe I'm just feeling overrought after yesterday but... " She bit her lip. "I want everyone awake and ready for an attack. Get the wounded up here to high ground so it's a more easily defendable position."

"Sounds more like a last stand than a fair fight," Irvine muttered, meeting Quistis' eyes. The sorrow answered his question. "Quistis… you need to stay alive, no matter what," he warned. "You can't risk your life in a hopeless situation or else then what?" He felt around for Selphie's hand, hanging on to her slender digits as if that was all it would take to keep her safe.

"I'm tired of being told that my life is more important than anyone else's, Irvine," Quistis growled. "If I lived but everyone else died, what would I do then? There's always the chance that my being here is what could keep all of you alive."

"But your life _is_ more important, Quistis," Selphie said firmly. There was a seriousness to her voice that normally didn't exist in the young woman. "If you take stupid risks or put your life below that of everyone else, what do we do then? How do we fight a being so powerful that none of us actually stand a chance? These are the cards we've been dealt. Now we need to deal with it. If things go downhill, you and Irvine have to leave us. For the good of the world."

Quistis just stared at Selphie in surprise. "I… Selph, I…"

Selphie reached out and gripped Quistis' hands tightly. "If you have to, you need to take Irvine and go. Don't let our deaths be in vain."

"Selph, you're not gonna die…" Irvine tried to intervene but was ignored.

Quistis stared hard in to her friend's eyes before nodding. "But only if we have to," she promised. "And not a minute before."

The two women smiled at each other in a moment of true understanding of what each had to confront. Selphie would face death if it meant getting the two out alive for the survival of mankind. Quistis would face the hard choice of leaving behind her comrades and friends to focus on the larger picture of protecting the world from Rasha. As a lifelong soldier, leaving them behind would be the hardest choice she'd faced and go against all of the training that had been ingrained into her.

"Get everyone ready," Quistis whispered, breaking the silence. "I want to give us the best chance of everyone surviving this."

"Anything yet?" Zell asked. He'd demanded a watch duty. He might not be able to walk but he could still see, had been his argument. Unwilling to deny him, Quistis had agreed to stand watch with him.

Making use of her keen eyesight, she scanned the dark sky for any sign of attack. In the distance, she could see a smudge on the horizon.

"There," Quistis finally said, pointing. "Something is coming."

There were no need for words. Zell wheeled himself back into the command center to begin their preparations while Quistis kept her chilling vigil outside, watching the smudge slowly begin to take shape in the distance. The distinct forms of individual monsters made up the horde, some lower level throw away mobs like bite bugs while others were high level varieties that normally required concentrated parties of SeeDs to take down. While Quistis knew they had the talent in their midst, what they were sorely lacking were their resources of potions, phoenix downs and magic.

All Quistis could do was watch as they came closer and closer. Their strategies had been put in place and were ready to be deployed at her signal. If wouldn't be easy, but perhaps with their training, they could prevail.

Once the horde drew close enough, Quistis could count roughly one hundred monsters, all native to the Trabian wastelands. It chilled her blood to see dozens of Ruby Dragons flying above. Without the aid of her friends, she did not feel the confidence she had to exude to keep everyone else calm and focused on the task at hand. And then Irvine was by her side, Selphie on the other. She still had some friends with her, and it would just have to be enough.

"Remember, Quisty, you can't overuse your magic today," Irvine said quietly. "You need to save your strength, just in case."

Quistis nodded reluctantly. "Bring up the casters," she ordered. Looking to her right, she smiled at Selphie. "They're in your hands, Selph. Remember to keep your distance and don't let anyone overcast. None of them will be at your skill level so you'll need to pace them."

The little brunette nodded with a tight smile. "Stay safe, Quisty," she whispered in an anxious squeak. "We're all counting on you." And then she took to the stairs, running down to take her position on the far wall.

Looking behind her, Quistis took a breath. "Xu," she called. "Assemble the physical damage dealers on the Eastern side. They'll need to slow the brunt and keep them bottlenecking. We can't let the monsters overflow inside the compound. Have the close rangers take out the weaker mobs while you keep your long range dealers focused on the harder hitting monsters."

Xu nodded and offered a silent salute as she took her SeeDs and departed. The older woman's face was pale. Even the hardcore professionals knew what they were doing and what the end result would likely be.

Left alone on the second level, Quistis squeezed Irvine's hand. "Irvine, I need you to provide support to the physical damage dealers," she said. "You're one of the strongest here and Exeter can blow a hole through almost anything. I promise that I'll watch over Selphie and ensure nothing happens to her."

The conflict was written over his face. He knew he needed to follow Quistis' orders but it killed him to leave Selphie alone amidst a dangerous conflict. "Keep her and yourself safe, Quis," was all Irvine could say before he trailed after Xu and her team.

The pieces were set and now all that was left was to engage in a deadly game of strategy against a madwoman and a man who knew her every secret. Quistis was deliberately staying out of the fight unless she was absolutely needed, watching over the injured to ensure no harm came to them. For now, all she could do was watch.

The walls shook as a scarred Ruby Dragon reared up on his hind legs to smash at the walls, unleashing a deadly Breath attack that left the sides charred but still standing. The skies lit up briefly from the flash in the attack, allowing everyone to see the full horde and just what was coming in their direction.

Fear spiked from the small group. Realistically, they knew they had no chance. But they would fight to the very last man, if that is what it took. "For SeeD!" shouted someone. "For the Blue!" came another. "Quistis!" It was a chant that was slowly taken up by everyone. They chanted her name like she was some hero or god who could find a way to save them. And all she could do was try and keep the tears at bay. How could she live up to their blind faith in her? How could she save their lives?

"Open it up!" Quistis finally shouted and one small partition of their wall dropped, giving a small opening for monsters to pour through. It was a calculated risk, allowing for them to concentrate their efforts in one area instead of having to guess and spread themselves thin. As the first monster threw its body through the hole, they were immediately burned down by a wave of projectiles from their long range users. Bullets, arrows, javelins, and blades all rained down, piercing through the hard hides of each beast that came at them with a Red haze clouding their eyes. As the larger mobs seethed through the hole, concentrated magic attacks were cast in quick succession, using the powerful bursts to force their enemy back but trying to ration their spells as best they could.

The monsters died. So many fell and were left to be trampled over by the rest of the horde, but the numbers never seemed to ease up. There was never a pause or a chance for someone to take a calm breath. But Quistis just watched from on high, gritting her teeth as she longed to leap into the fray, but knew that she couldn't. Her team was holding the wave of monsters back, so even though they were hard pressed, they were doing their jobs.

The wild shrieks of Ruby Dragons had everyone looking upward as dark forms cast shadows in the lit center of base.

"Casters on the Ruby Dragons!" came Selphie's loud shout.

"Switch junctions and fire," Irvine was screaming on the other side.

"Melee, plug the hole," Xu commanded as she leapt down into the fray with her SeeDs right behind her. With two thirds of the fire power's attention now focused on the more imminent threat, they couldn't afford to let any other monsters trickle in or it would soon become a cascade and they would all die.

Their strongest magic was being thrown at the flock of Dragons alighting all around the open space. One settled on top of the burnt out remains of the medical hut and trumpeted its anger so loudly that the air vibrated with its rage. Meteors, Holys, Ultimas, Flares all flashed brightly with each cast but they were rare spells to begin with and always in short supply. They would run out too quickly if they kept their casting pace up.

With no other choice, Quistis stepped forward, reaching out to her connection with Irvine for support as she cast Protect and Shell on everyone, adding an extra layer of defense while her attention was focused elsewhere. She took a deep breath and with a running leap, jumped off the observation area. Instead of falling into the fray below, two shimmering white wings sprouted from her back and she was lifted high above the encampment. Her arms folded over her breast, Quistis summoned her sorceress power, pairing it with her own Blue Magic for the most devastating effect.

"Ray Bomb," she cried, letting the complicated and dangerous spell overtake her. It left barely anything but charred bones of two of the Ruby Dragons but only moderately damaged the remaining four.

Pulling the spells from her heart, Quistis began casting Ultimas and Holys from her high position, refraining from any further devastating attacks as she could feel the drain on her own body. But the shields she had created were wearing down and she was forced to watch in horror as an angry Ruby Dragon snaked its long neck out and reared up on its hind legs to snatch one of the Casters, sinking its sharp teeth into the tender flesh of a human.

The cries tore through Quistis and she lifted her hand out, tears blurring her vision. From far below, she could hear Irvine shout out, "No!" but she didn't care. All she could see were her people dying. Her friends. Her comrades. People that had put their faith in her to protect them. Slowly but surely, they were dying under the pressure of monsters, from trusting in the wrong woman. She could have no more of it.

"Shockwave Pulsar!" she cast, throwing her sorceress powers behind the already destructive attack. The world seemed to stop as every monster attacking was lifted up to the strong gravitational pull of her spell, clustering and squeezing them all together. With a flick of her wrist, monsters went careening down to the ground, destroying the buildings and their walls in the process. The aftershock even sent her team sprawling in the snow, knocking some of them out and causing injuries to all.

Roughly seventy-five percent of the monsters were destroyed in her single attack, leaving only the strongest and largest behind but with heavy injuries.

Exhausted and heartsick, Quistis could feel her world going dark as her power faded back to a dull glow within her instead of the bright fire that had met Rasha's attack head on. With nothing left to pull from, her glowing wings disappeared and she went careening toward the ground.

No one had the strength to stop her careening descent. Even as the Trabian team struggled to find a single Float spell amongst any of them to slow her fall, they all watched a single figure appear from the darkness. The flash of a fluffy white collar and glowing blue blade were all they could see of the blurred shape, moving under the aid of Haste. He catapulted himself off the ruined peak of a wall, throwing himself through the air to snatch the falling sorceress before she hit the ground.

Quistis' blue eyes opened slowly when she realized she was being held against a strong, muscled chest, tears still leaking slowly down her cheeks. They met a pair of stormy blue eyes that held restrained affection and annoyance in equal parts.

"Hello, Quistis," was the quiet murmuring rumble, a voice that sent her heart soaring.

"Squall…" she whispered happily as she surrendered herself to unconsciousness. Everything could be alright now. Her brother had come to take her home.


	10. Coming Home

Author Notes: I still try and sit down to write when I have a spare moment and I hope that people enjoy what I do.

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 10: Coming Home

"Five years ago, it was me sitting in this stupid bed with you shaking your head and judging me over my stupidity…"

Quistis smiled fondly in reminiscence as she looked up at Squall. His skin was still pale with a faint shimmering of sweat that followed him no matter the temperature. Dark circles shadowed his eyes and his fingers twitched anxiously from time to time. But compared to his deathlike state from just a few short weeks ago, he still looked like a glowing picture of health.

"Does that mean you're standing there, judging me over my stupidity?" Quistis asked, arching a golden brow. She'd already been lectured by an angry Irvine, a surprisingly irritated Selphie and an infuriated Quara. She peaked out from beneath her long lashes, trying to get a feel for the level of rage brewing within the Balamb Commander. She marveled at how comforting it was to see him leaning against a wall, his arms crossed loosely over his chest as his light brown hair flopped in front of his eyes.

"Stupidity doesn't even begin to cover it, Quistis," Squall replied, his eyes narrowing. "You could have killed yourself. If… if we had even been a few minutes later, you _would_ have died. Has that thought not occurred to you? And what would happen to this world then?" He took in a sharp breath, visibly shaking as he tried to rein in the rest of his angry words.

The Blue Sorceress dropped her eyes, both abashed from what she knew deep inside and because she could hear the ring of desperation in Squall's voice. It wasn't just a question of what would happen to the world, but a plea of what would happen to Rinoa if she were defeated prematurely. So long as Quistis drew breath, there was a hope, even a slim one, that Rinoa could be saved from the possession by Rasha. A small worm of jealousy wriggled around in her heart. Not just over an old romance never realized but over Squall's continued loyalty to his sorceress, no matter what had happened. Unwillingly, her thoughts drifted to Seifer and wondering where he was, before she snapped back to reality.

"We've already seen so much death, Squall," Quistis spoke quietly. "For weeks, all I saw was desperation, fear and death. I… couldn't watch anymore of it. I knew the risks, but I couldn't just sit by and let other people die for me any more. If I did, I would be no better than Rasha. She uses people for as long as they benefit her, and then she discards them."

Squall's hands clenched into fists. He'd felt all too closely what it meant to be discarded by the Red Sorceress. He cleared his throat, but before he could continue, there was a knock on the door. "Good, they're here," he mumbled, jerking the door open.

Irvine, Selphie, Quara and Zell all piled into the small room, chattering amongst each other. Quara immediately detached herself from the group, gliding over to plant a kiss on her daughter's forehead and claiming the bedside chair for herself. Selphie squeezed herself onto the foot of the small bed, bumping her hip up against Quistis' leg. Irvine hovered by Selphie, always within reach of the small bubbly woman. Zell had been upgraded to crutches from his wheelchair and now leant his back against the wall closest to the door.

Quistis looked up at her friends with a puzzled expression before her attention returned to Squall. "What…?" she asked slowly before trailing off.

"I wanted to get everyone in the same room to discuss our next step," Squall said quietly. He stood with his back braced against the door, arms crossing over his chest. "At this moment, we are on our way back to Esthar. From there, we'll at least be able to regroup and make a decision on what our next move should be."

"Can we start with what the hell happened to you?" Irvine interjected, lifting his brows. "It's great to see you up and about, man, but we all thought you were about two wrong breaths away from death's door."

"Irvy!" Selphie tried to interject with a mortified roll of her eyes. "You can't say things like that."

"Are you saying that he looked good?" Irvine replied indignantly. "Quistis, back me up here. He looked like he had been chewed up by a Grendal and then trampled by a pack of Ochus."

Quistis looked pained as she tried to keep a straight face. "I believe what Selphie is implying is that amongst dignified company, you try to avoid mentioning how close to death one looked," she said slowly, each word a struggle as he voice quivered. "Perhaps it may have been better to suggest that Squall is looking much better now and we are grateful for his speedy recovery."

Irvine looked back and forth between the two women of his life and sighed. "Fine. Squall, you look so much better, I'll be sure to send flowers to show how happy I am for your speedy recovery," he said with a grumble.

Unable to hold it in any longer, the group burst into laughter with Quistis and Selphie flopped over on their sides on the bed, struggling to catch their breath.

Summoning up his fiercest cross look, Squall looked out over his friends, though even he couldn't keep the light of a smile from his face. "Are you all quite finished?" he asked sternly. He exchanged a helpless look with Quara. "I don't know how you put up with them all for as long as you did."

"To answer your question, Irvine, it was a mixture of our own medical technology and Kadowaki's weird experiments with Odine," Squall continued, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but how come we have power in Garden, anyway…" Zell interjected, looking around. "I thought when Rasha unleashed her power, everything went dead."

"If you all would stop interrupting me, I could explain," Squall snapped with a sigh. "Really, it's like dealing with children again."

"Sorry Squall…" everyone mumbled, but it was Quistis who gestured for Squall to keep going with her patient teacher look.

"After your team went up to Trabia with the Ragnarok, and all communications went dark, our engineers started trying to come up with solutions before the world dissolved into chaos," Squall said with a frown. "One of Cid's historian SeeDs made the suggestion that since Garden came from Centran technology, they might be able to continue working amidst the magical storm of power that has been at work. It required some modification to help shield against the sheer force of power that's interrupting our electrical waves but we were able to at least start somewhere."

Squall shook his head as he continued. "With her lab at least up and running somewhat, Kadowaki made sure all of my physical wounds were fully healed up. The thing that was killing me, however, was…"

"The Red Power," Quistis murmured. "That much power to host Hyne would probably kill a normal person. Or at least put them into a dormant state, making it easy for Hyne to take possession."

"Exactly," Squall agreed. "So her mission was to try and find a way to dillute the power a little so I could live. She actually concocted a potion using your blood, Quistis, trying to negate the Red with the power that's in your blood."

Quistis, who had been quiet the entire time, looked up at Squall with a fearful hope in her eyes. "She was able to dilute the Red power in you with my blood?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know, maybe?" Squall replied. "You'll have to talk to her about what she actually did but it was enough for me to recover and take command." He hesitated. "Quistis, I'm not free of the Red power, but Rinoa poured so much into me that without the spirit of Hyne actively inhabiting me, it should have killed me. Kadowaki was just able to neutralize some of the power so I could live."

Quistis understood what he was saying, cautioning her against hope. There was no active way to cleanse a person of the Red power, but even so, she tucked away the knowledge that her blood, infused with its Blue power, could act as a balancing agent to its counterpart. "I'm glad you're alright, Squall," she said with a smile. "Losing you as well would have just been too much. But please, continue…"

"Kadowaki was able to revive me and it's been chaos ever since," Squall growled. "As soon as I was strong enough to get out of bed, I wanted to come to Trabia to look for all of you but the Council got involved. They decided that our first priority was to secure their power and restore law and order to the major cities."

"I mean… that's kind of important," Zell mumbled.

Squall ignored Zell and continued. "We were sent to Esthar to restore order on the continent while Galbadia and Trabia have been on the Galbadian continent. Laguna understood our problems and put the Estharian army at our disposal to help with manpower. While we were doing that, Kadowaki worked with Odine to create an infusion for me so the Red Power doesn't overtake me again." He shook his head. "Even though Laguna wanted to get us to Trabia as quickly as possible as well, I'll still probably be seeing a court martial when all of this is over for disobeying my orders. We were told to forget about you and focus on the living."

"Glad to know we're so important," Irvine huffed.

"Anyway, that's where things stand," Squall finished. "Laguna will be more than happy to see all of you and once we're settled into Esthar, we can see if we've got any new information that we can work with. With the Gardens able to communicate with each other, at least in a limited capacity, we can know what's happening in the world."

"Y'know, I'm amazed that Garden is moving around at all," Zell mused, scratching absently at the tattoo on his face. "I'd read that a lot of the upgrades to the Garden were Estharian more than Centran."

"The Centran technology may have been able to protect the core that let the Garden shift to its mobile form," Selphie countered. "We should take a look at it later and see if maybe we can make use of that kind of shielding to get other systems back up and running, especially in major cities."

"I'm sure Esthar would be grateful for it, Selphie," Squall said. "It's not in good shape after the blackout. A lot of people were left stranded and even though we left half of our people in the city, they were still stretched pretty thin."

"So we should all be ready for action when we hit land then?" Irvine quipped, his gaze resting on the back of Selphie's head. "Be ready for more fighting and keeping the peace?"

"Nothing will change until Quistis can face Rasha and win," Quara interjected, her voice quiet but forceful. "And you, as her knight, should be readying yourself for that same fight, Irvine Kinneas. Without you, she cannot access her power safely. Without you, she cannot tap in to the full strength of her abilities."

Irvine's gaze dropped down. "I know what my responsibilities are, Quara," he mumbled. "But that doesn't mean there aren't other things we should be worrying about, like the innocents who could get caught up in this fight. Or what happens if Quistis-" he cut himself off, shaking his head.

"If Quistis fails?" Quistis herself finished the sentence. "That's a possibility I'm trying very hard not to think about, Irvine. Because I know if I fail, the worst I face is death. It'll be so much worse for those left behind. And that's not something I can stand for. So I need you to stay strong _with_ me and maybe we'll be able to get everyone through this alive."

No one could meet Quistis' gaze as she looked around the room. She could feel their doubt and fear. Except from Quara, who, as always, radiated a warm glow of safety and love. It was the only safe place she had left. "Do you all think Quara and I could have a little time alone together?" she requested with an apologetic smile.

Squall nodded, pushing himself away from the door and starting to herd everyone else out. "You're confined to the Infirmary until we get back to Esthar," he added over his shoulder. "And you're not getting your full roaming rights back until Kadowaki has given you a thorough examination, so better make yourself comfortable."

The only response he got was a bedpan whipped at his head. Grinning, Squall ducked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"Kinneas, I want a word with you before you go slinking off again," Squall called as he jogged down the dark corridor to catch up with the tall cowboy.

Irvine turned, his hand resting on Selphie's shoulder. "Oh, sure Squall. Just let me walk Selphie back to her room," he replied distractedly.

"Now, Irvine."

"Irvy, it's fine, I can go back without you," Selphie replied with a warm smile. "Zell will walk with me, right Zell?"

"Huwha?" Zell looked up from his slow walk with his crutches. "Oh, sure, Sel. I'll protect you from the big dark hallways."

Irvine's jaw clenched but he nodded curtly. "I'll come check in with you later, Selph," he said stiffly, pressing a kiss into her brown hair. He watched as the bouncing girl and limping man disappeared around the curve of the main throughway before turning back to Squall. "What can't wait a few minutes for me to get Selphie back?"

Squall's brow furrowed. "What exactly does Selphie need protection from here?" he asked. "She's a decorated war hero and basically worshipped by half the students for all of her efforts during the last Sorceress War. Not to mention being the Lieutenant of Trabia Garden and all of the respect that comes with that."

"I just need to know she's safe, man," Irvine retorted. "I can't help it. I need to know she's safe at all times or I just start to lose it."

"You can't know she's always safe, Irvine," Squall's voice clenched with pain. "No one is safe right now. But she's going to be safer than most because she can take care of herself. You need to get it together though. You have other things you should be focusing on besides Selphie."

"Like what?"

"Quistis."

"Oh…" Irvine looked ashamed. "I promised to be her knight and protect her but at every turn, I'm failing her. I don't know what to do."

Squall rolled his eyes, reaching out to grab Irvine's shirt and yank him close so they were nose to nose. "You protect her, Kinneas. You give her love and you cherish her for the wonderful woman that she is."

"I'm not in love with her like you were with Rinoa, man," Irvine protested, trying to shrug Squall off. "I can't just split my attention between her and Selphie. It's hard to make a choice."

"There is no choice, Irvine," Squall replied. "The more you try to fight your pledge as a knight, the harder the power is going to hold you and make your life miserable. You promised to protect Quistis, and now you need to fulfill that promise. You're her friend, Kinneas. Man up and give her the love of one friend to another and protect her."

Irvine rubbed his face so vigorously that his trademark cowboy hat tipped to the side. "I'm not what she needs, Squall," he said with a heavy sigh. "With every day, I can feel that. Because we're bonded together, I can help her ground her power, but we're not… we're not real partners. Not like you and Rinoa were. I can feel the bond fracturing because of it."

"Not every sorceress and knight who were together were romantically involved," Squall replied, his voice dropping slightly. "It always helped, and it was just one of those things that occurred because of the closeness, but… it's about two people committed to each other. Whose like-minded ways will lead them through life."

"Seifer shoulda been her knight," Irvine burst out, slamming his fist into a nearby wall. "If that arrogant asshole had just accepted her, none of this would have happened. If he'd just not been so damned afraid of what it would do."

"Maybe so, but the Red power may have prevented him from truly ever being her knight," Squall conceded. "He was with Ultimecia long enough to be imbued with a great deal of Red power. He may have been physically unable to accept the bonds of the Blue without damaging her and himself." He paused. "What really happened that knight when he fled?"

Irvine hesitated. "It was the weirdest thing… we had been talking and he was his normal Seifer self. Arrogant. Annoying. But you could see him watching Quistis. You could see how much she meant to him. But he was fighting something inside of him. Maybe his own conscience, maye Rasha, who knows. But all of a sudden he just snapped. You remember what he was like as Ultimecia's knight? That crazy look in his eyes when you knew he wasn't all there? That's what it was like watching him make that change. But even when he was taken, he couldn't hurt Quistis. He could have killed her before we realized what happened, but he didn't. He caused a scene and then ran away."

"You may be right that he wouldn't hurt Quistis," Squall said cautiously. "But it's not a chance we can take. She's too valuable and his bond with his sorceress will only grow stronger, making his other bonds seem weaker and weaker by comparison. We can't know if he's still committed to Quistis or if he'll use her feelings against her."

Rasha could feel the pleasure starting to build within her. Her body quivered with delight. Her exquisite knight, so beautiful and powerful, strong and commanding, pressed his hard body down on top of her. It wasn't quite to the same level as Hyne, but could it truly be held against him that he couldn't match the skill of a god?

As her nails raked across his back, Seifer hissed softly. His entire existence seemed to be clouded by a soft red fog, cocooning him in a power that he had never experienced before. A part of him loved it, but at the same time he knew he was being seduced by a mere illusion. At some point, she would call down Hyne and then Seifer Almasy would cease to exist. That wasn't what he wanted, was it?

But he couldn't think straight. That damned red fog. He could feel a delightfully warm female body beneath him. But it lacked the lean, sculpted edge of Quistis. He knew her body inside and out, knew each curve and movement she would make as he would make love to her. This wasn't Quistis. Even as his body yearned for her, he couldn't find the will to make himself stop.

Seifer pressed his lips against the soft pale neck of the woman beneath him, breathing in the gentle scent. It was familiar and held strong memories, but not the memories that made him happy, or more importantly, made him feel safe for once. He missed her. He wanted her. Every fiber in his body needed her.

"Quistis…" Seifer quietly moaned, even as he felt the sharp and angry rebuke from the sorceress within his head.

"Quistis, everyone, welcome to Esthar," the cheery and lined face of Laguna Loire lifted the spirits a little in their party. He embraced everyone one of the group, only stopping short when he came to Quara. The older woman stood tall and graceful, and despite her wounds, glowed with warmth and brightness.

"Laguna, allow me to introduce you to my mother, Quara," Quistis said quickly. "Quara, this is President Laguna Loire of Esthar. He's also Squall's father."

Quara inclined her head gracefully. "President Loire," she said politely. Her head cocked to the side as she squinted more closely at his features before a musical laugh pelted the air. "Why you've been a knight before, have you not?" she asked merrily. "In an old movie. It was all the rage in my village."

Laguna had the good grace to blush, "Back in my youth, I tried my hand as an actor," he stammered out. But he clapped his hands together, bringing attendants out to greet them. "These people will be able to help all of you get settled into your rooms. Squall, Quistis, if you don't mind the delay, I'd like to speak with you in private before you head off."

Both Commanders nodded and followed Laguna into the Palace, now lined with candles instead of the soft glow from their technology. Their shadows cast long figures across the blank computer screens and access panels that had made Esthar so unique.

"It's like a graveyard in here, isn't it?" Laguna mused to Quistis as they walked. "It's nothing but an empty shell of what Esthar once was…"

As they entered Laguna's office, they all gravitated toward the large picture window where natural light filtered in. "My survey teams have reported seeing a large wolf on the edge of the desert," he began without preamble. "It's like nothing we've ever seen before and they'd like SeeD to take a look at it. Before we deploy anyone, I wanted to check in with you first to see if you might have any additional information to add." He cast a smile toward Quistis. "We've all read all of your reports that you filed before you left for Trabia and it's helped many of us grasp the situation at least a little."

Quistis tapped a finger against her chin before nodding. "I have reason to believe that his might be Fenrir," she said slowly. "We were attacked by two mythical creatures, akin to GFs, when in Trabia. But it surprises me that they're so far south. Was there any word on a White Dragon?" At Laguna's puzzled look, she briefly explained what had transpired in Trabia, along with her encounter with both creatures. "Rasha is continuing to throw obstacles in the way to slow my descent into my full powers" She glanced askew at Squall before continuing, "We should go hunting for Fenrir before he gets too close to the city. Do you have any working means of transportation?"

"I can send two units of the Estharian army with you," Laguna immediately offered. "I wish I could offer more but-"

"No," Quistis cut him off shortly. With an embarrassed smile, she expanded, "Thank you, Laguna, but no. I've seen first hand how little conventional means damage these creatures," she explained. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to just take Irvine, Squall and Selphie with me."

Laguna hesitated, glancing across the desk to Squall, his son. They maintained a cordial relationship with each other because they were father and son but eighteen years had been too long for them to actually build a father-son relationship like he would have wanted. He hated the idea of putting him at risk, especially right on the heels of his last almost fatal encounter.

"We can offer you chocobos," he finally said. "We rounded up a bunch of them when the power first went down so we could have some means of transportation. I'll see that you get the four fastest ones available."

"No, absolutely not," Irvine half shouted as the group gathered in the makeshift chocobo corral. He had been running a few errands when he'd received word that Quistis needed him immediately. He's arrived to find Selphie strapping on a helmet and petting one of the chocobos being saddled. "Are you out of your damned mind, woman?" he snapped at his sorceress, pointing in Selphie's direction.

"She's just barely recovered from her injuries in Trabia and you're going to drag her out into the desert to fight a giant wolf that could eat us all in one swallow?" Irvine shook his head emphatically. "No, no, a million times no."

Quistis merely lifted a brow in Irvine's direction, placing a restraining hand on Selphie's arm before the smaller woman exploded all over the place and spooked the birds. "Selphie is a Rank A SeeD, Lieutenant of Trabia Garden and one of the best magic casters in the world," she said calmly. "Not to mention she, just like you, has already faced down an almost fully formed Red Sorceress and helped defeat creations of said sorceress." She paused for dramatic effect. "Simply put, Kinneas, she outranks you and I need her strength if we're going to protect a city of millions."

Irvine flushed red, both from anger and embarrassment warring against each other. "I know all that but Quis… How can you ask me to put my life in your hands as your knight when I know she's in danger."

Squall cleared his throat, "I hope you haven't forgotten that I'm coming as well," he interjected as he strapped his gunblade sheath to the chocobo saddle. "Quistis asked for both of us to come so we could help provide support and watch each other's back."

"I know this is hard for you, Irvy, but how is this any different than when we were facing Ultimecia," Selphie said gently. "If you love me, you have to trust that I know what I'm doing. I'm a member of SeeD. This is what I do."

"I'm outnumbered here, aren't I?" Irvine said helplessly. Pushing his hat brim back so he could get a clear look at Selphie's face, he sighed. "Just be careful, okay? I don't know what I'd do without you, Selph." His gloved hands cupped the beloved face of his future wife, etching the sloping cheekbones and bright emerald eyes into his memory. With a sigh, he bent and kissed the edge of her nose. "We all ready to ride?" he grouched out as he gathered up the reins of his mount.

All four swung up into the saddles of their chocobos, kicking them into a brisk trot as they left the city limits. The birds kweehed to each other, feathers rustling as they took scent of the air.

"According to Laguna, the last sighting was seen about four miles east of here," Squall said, urging his mount forward.

The muscled legs of the chocobos carried the group rapidly over the hot desert sands, their ground eating strides making short work of the distance. Familiar scenery passed by in a blur, with the darkened technological city of Esthar glowing faintly in the moonlight. The smell of the distant sea called to Quistis, the warm breeze ruffling her golden hair.

In her mind, she could hear voices calling to her, seeking salvation and revenge on the Red Witch who had so mercilessly ended their lives. Here, in these desert regions, she had murdered thousands in the name of Hyne. Even as they flew over the sandy earth on their chocobos, Quistis could see the flapping red robes of Rasha over the sand stained by blood as she glided over fields of dead bodies, a delighted smile marking her beautiful face.

" _Mercy, Lady, mercy!" the voices cried out for a reprieve from death, but received no such kindness from the Red Witch. She was the weapon and guardian of the Almighty Hyne, his lover, his confidant. It was all she had ever wanted, and now that she had achieved her place in life, she would do anything to keep it. People feared and respected her power, and that was all she had ever wanted._

 _But to the North, she could feel a rumble of power. It was power so like her own but different. Once, the two powers had been almost identical, but time, experience and circumstance had changed them to match the women. This power was everything she was not - humble, calm and maternal. For so long, that power had laid dormant that Rasha has assumed that her cowardly sister had just gone and died, but now it was back, and it was heading for her._

" _Stop this insanity now, Rasha, and forsake Hyne," a voice whispered on the winds. "Come home and put this behind you."_

" _Never," Rasha screamed in reply. "This is my destiny. This is my dream. Come try to take it from me if you dare."_

The intensity of Rasha's hatred rebounded through memory and time, vibrating its way against her body so hard that Quistis momentarily lost consciousness, only coming around as she hit the ground.

"Quistis!" Selphie was the first one off her mount, scrambling to check on her friend. "Are you okay?"

Quistis' smile was one of embarrassment as she gingerly pushed herself into a seated position. "I'm sorry, guys. I must have lost my train of thought," she said, rubbing anxiously at the back of her neck. "Do you mind if we stop here for a few minutes before continuing on? We're almost there, anyway."

Irvine looked on in embarrassment. He should have been keeping a better watch over his sorceress, but his attention had been captured by Selphie's brown hair bouncing in the moonlight. Clearing his throat, he dismounted from his chocobo, catching the reins of Selphie's before it ran off, snapping at a tumbleweed. 'We should come up with a plan before we go charging in, anyway," he suggested. Digging through his saddlebags, he came up with a canteen of water that he tossed to Quistis.

"The plan is hopefully simple," Squall said, coming around to Quistis' side and sitting down. "Irvine, you and Quistis will wait until Selphie and I can draw Fenrir out. We'll survey whether there are any additional monsters with it, or if it's alone. Once we have its attention, you two will attack from the side to hopefully take it by surprise." He tilted his head in Quistis' direction. "Do you have any kind of magic that can keep the two of you undetected? The more we can do for a surprise attack, the better."

Quistis drank deeply from the canteen before nodding. "I think I can do a few things," she said slowly. "I'll cast the strongest Protects and Shells I can to keep the two of you safe in the meantime, however," she added, already taking a deep breath to calm herself as she went searching for the power within her.

"No," Squall's response was stern and to the point. "I am guessing that it senses your magic," he explained. "Don't cast anything until they are for yourself. Selphie and I can make do with our own casts."

Irvine silently ground his teeth together at the idea of Selphie going in without the protections of a sorceress. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off his fears for her and focus on what he needed to do for Quistis. But every moment he let his concentration drop, his thoughts were returning to Selphie and his fear for her safety. Cradling his face in his hands, he ducked his head low, trying to focus on anything but his own heart's desires.

Watching as Irvine shrank more and more into himself, Squall exchanged a concerned look with Quistis before he finally stood and reached over, hauling the cowboy to his feet. Irvine had, perhaps, a good six inches on Squall, but that extra height had never helped him win a fight against the Balamb Commander. "Walk it off, cowboy," Squall growled out as he stalked off into the darkness.

Selphie watched Irvine slink after Squall, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Quis," she whispered. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have distracted him right when you needed him most."

Quistis smiled slightly, reaching over to squeeze Selphie's hand. "It's not your fault, Selphie," she replied gently. "This was a task that was never meant for Irvine, but he faced it head on anyway, because he was such a good friend. I'm the one putting the strain on him by asking him to be what he's not." Shaking her head, she sighed. "I just hope that he can handle it, because without him, none of us have a chance."

"You've gotta get it together, man," Squall said. "Take a few deep breaths and get your head in the game."

Irvine shook his head, even as he took several long strides forward, trying to focus his attention on what lay ahead of them. "I know. I know!" His voice rose in an angry snarl. "I'm trying, Squall."

"I know you are," Squall replied evenly. "But Quistis comes first. Especially tonight. If Fenrir gets past us and into the city… you've seen better than I have what that beast could do to an already panicked city of millions."

"I know…" Irvine sighed. "Man, I'm kind of missing the days of the Sorceress War, aren't you?"

"I think I'd take Ultimecia anyday over this," Squall agreed, his thin smile turning into a laugh.

The two men shared a laugh, but it faded fast when they saw a bright flash of light from a Thundaga spell fill the air, illuminating a large wolf as it stalked toward the small forms of Quistis and Selphie.

"Shit," Squall cursed as he groped at his waist for Lionheart, only to remember strapping it in to the saddle sheath on his chocobo.

As one, the two men headed back as fast as they could run. Stumbling over each other and the shifting sand, they watched in horror as Fenrir took a running leap, his paws spread to make a jumping pounce on Quistis, his wicked fangs gleaming through his snarl. At the last second, Quistis pushed Selphie hard out of the way, likely throwing the force of her magic behind it, to send her flying away from the attack. But the moment to protect her friend had cost Quistis valuable seconds she needed to fully shield herself from the attack. It hit her hard, the reverberations shaking the earth beneath all of their feet.

"Good doggy," a sarcastic voice called from the darkness.

Quistis slowly pushed herself back up on to one knee, wincing as she felt the ripple of pain from her ribs that went screaming through her entire body.

From the shadow emerged Seifer, but not the Seifer she had known and called friend. This was the same shell of a man from the Lunatic Pandora, desperately clinging to his dreams, even as they were slipping through his fingers. A wild look dominated in his green eyes. He was unpredictable and dangerous.

Watching him approach, Quistis silently cast Curaga spells on herself to give her body a burst of energy and quickly knit together the cracked ribs and bruised muscles. "Seifer," she greeted cautiously, shifting herself so he would need to put his back to the approaching Squall and Irvine in order to meet her eyes.

Fenrir had paused his attack when Seifer revealed himself, laying down with his head between his paws next to the Red knight.

"Quistis." Speaking her name, he looked queasy, torn between himself as he watched her fully stand up. Her clothes were slightly ripped and torn from the attack and now covered in dust. She was surrounded by chaos, but all he could see was her prim stature held straight as she taught in the classroom, not a hair out of place, each crease deliberate.

"Are you here to kill me, Seifer?" Quistis prompted gently.

"My sorceress wants you dead," Seifer replied hazily. "So I should kill you now to please her."

"Maybe so," Quistis agreed, her voice never leaving its gentle cadence. "But would it please you to see me dead?"

An image of Quistis, broken and bleeding at his feet filled Seifer's consciousness and he shuddered. Her golden hair stiff from dried blood, her hand reaching out, begging him to save her. In an instant, his Red power transferred him from across the desert sands to directly in front of Quistis, his left hand reaching up to grasp her neck painfully.

"Quistis!" Squall and Irvine immediately leapt forward from where they had stood frozen, charging toward Seifer. But they were stopped by Fenrir as the giant wolf sprang to his feet again, blocking their approach.

As she struggled for each breath, Quistis reached out to touch Seifer's face, tracing the line of his scar where Squall had once cut him in a sparring match gone horribly wrong. Both men, so similar and so different. She had held Squall on a pedestal, wanting to elevate him so high that they could never be equals. Seifer had always invited her down to meet him eye to eye, taunting and teasing her to play with him on the ground.

The rest of the world stopped as he stared deeply into Quistis' eyes. The stars reflected in her dark blue orbs, even as they fluttered in her struggle to breathe. But she didn't fight him. For some reason, she had placed her life entirely in his hands, to do with as he pleased. All he needed to do was apply more pressure with his thumb against her slender white throat and she would die. He would have succeeded in his duty to his sorceress, but the woman before him would be dead. His stubborn, bossy little Quisty.

" _If I lost you, there'd be no more reason to fight back…"_

The words whispered between the two of them. They were his words. His voice. But were they real? His thumb lifted from her throat, allowing air to flow naturally again. Quistis gasped in several deep breaths, her hands rising to gently clasp his wrist.

"Seifer…" she whispered.

The grip that had once been to kill her shifted into more of a caress as his fingers slid through her hair, thumb brushing over her lips. He had cared about this woman more than anything. Did he still when he had sworn himself to her mortal enemy? Did it matter? He was not worthy of her, had never been worthy, but now doubly so. Seeing the words in her eyes, Seifer shook his head. "Don't," he commanded.

"...I love you."

Her words were simple, quietly spoken to be shared just between the two of them. Pain flared in Seifer's eyes as he dropped his hand from her skin and stepped back. "Don't," he said again, this time more of a plea than a command. "Don't…" When he broke his eye contact with her, he was enveloped in shadow and disappeared to nothingness, leaving only Fenrir behind.

"Seifer…" Quistis whispered into the wind before she heard Squall's shout. She could still feel his warm hand at her throat, even as she strode forward, a hand extending out to summon Lionheart to the hand of its owner. His scent tickled her senses as she called down a wind to fling the great beast away from her friends. The memory of his kisses were fresh in her mind when she cocooned herself in power, creating a great blade of fiery light to parry the beast back, forcing it onto the defensive, snapping and snarling but unable to regain its forward momentum.

Swinging Lionheart forward in his hand to stabilize his grip, Squall charged forward to slash at the beast's heels, stopping its slow retreat from Quistis. On his left side, Irvine gathered his wits and loaded Exeter with Pulse Ammo, firing off precision shots that pierced the fierce wolf's thick hide. To his right, Selphie rained down spells with no sign of letting up, her eyes glazed with concentration.

With nowhere to run, Fenrir reared up on his hind legs, letting loose a desperate howl into the night sky. It was the chance Quistis had been waiting for. With a loud shout, she rushed in, the burning weapon shining brightly in her hands and leapt high into the air. At her signal, her team pressed in even harder, knocking the creature off balance with the ferocity of their attack, leading him helpless on his back.

In the air, Quistis struck hard, coming down like an arrow, her power growing brighter with each passing second. The blade cut deep within Fenrir's chest, cutting down through bone, muscle and organ, even as it shined brightly in the night. As she found her feet on the ground once more, all she could hear was the raspy breathing from the beast as he lay dying. Slowly, she reached out and rested a hand on his thick fur, offering quiet murmurs of reassurance, as she would any dying animal. His skin quivered beneath her touch and she was given a momentary insight of the creature's pain and sadness to die so far from the snows.

In her void, Rasha screamed in agony. One of her pets was dead. Overly confident now that she had her knight by her side, she had kept Narshe behind to allow his wounds to continue healing, sending in only the Great White Wolf to destroy Juna. But instead, her beloved pet was dead. Looking up, she saw Narshe lifting his nose to the sky and shrieking in grief. She could feel his desire for vengeance and it was only the strength of her will that kept him from flying off to seek the hand that had killed his brother.

 _You can't win against them,_ Rinoa's voice gloated with glee. The girl had lain dormant for so long that Rasha had almost believed her truly dead but as Quistis grew stronger, so did the disembodied pest. _They are strongest united and they won't let you have this world._

"What do you know?" Rasha hissed in reply. "I am Rasha, the Almighty Queen of Hyne. No one on this gods forsaken earth is more powerful than me."

 _They are_ , Rinoa replied easily. _Together, they are._ Because Rasha had taken control of her body, Rinoa was occasionally granted insights into the Red Witch's thoughts, and to see what she saw. Seeing Squall fighting alongside Irvine, Selphie and Quistis had stirred her hope once more. So long as her knight lived, she would not go quietly into the darkness.

Rasha continued to rage and rampage across the void, stomping her feet and venting more as a pouting child than an angry goddess. It was to this that Seifer returned, his memories of Quistis calm and accepting fresh in his mind.

Spinning around at the shifting magical balances behind her, Rasha could only see Seifer's tall, broad frame and beautifully golden locks. "My knight," she exclaimed in delight. Nothing had given her more pleasure than to steal him away from right under Juna's nose. "My beautiful Fenrir is dead. We have but Narshe to protect us from Juna now, and he is still hurt."

"She has found her power and grown confident in using it, Rasha," Seifer replied blandly. "Your little creatures are no longer a threat to her. Send Narshe against Quistis and he will die just as easily as Fenrir did."

Rasha's garnet red lips curved upward in a smile. "Then, my love, it is time for Hyne's spirit to come home to rest inside of you," she purred happily. "You possess enough of the Red power to house his beautiful spirit and with his help, I can rid myself of Juna permanently."


	11. Anticipation

Author Notes: I continue to try and plug away at this whenever I get the chance. I apologize that this is a shorter chapter but it just seemed like a good stopping point. One day I hope that I can finish this and I'm really gratified to see that people actually read it.

A Call of Tomorrow

Chapter 11: Anticipation

 _He couldn't find her. Walking across the barren plains, he called her name again and again, screaming into the endless void until his throat was raw. For miles he dragged his tired body, ignoring the harsh winds and endless heat. If he could reach the other side, he knew he could find her. Across this endless abyss would be the field of flowers where they had promised each other they would meet._

 _But as he looked behind him, he saw the reality of his life. This was no endless abyss. It was a small island with nowhere to run. He was trapped and there was no end. There was no way to leave and find his field of flowers. Sinking down to his knees, Squall whispered her name, loving the feel of it on his tongue, how it gently caressed his ears and gave him comfort, even knowing that he would never see her lovely face again._

 _Better to die than face the world without her. Drawing his gunblade from its sheath at his side, he pictured her face one last time before ending it all._

 _His life was slowly slipping away. Perhaps there was an afterlife after all, because in the distance, he could hear the beat of angel wings coming closer, and then finally alighting near him._ Please take me home so I can see her beautiful face once again _, his thoughts screamed. His strength was fading fast, even as his lifeblood spilled across his barren hell. Would she still love him, even after his failure?_

 _But then he heard the sound of knees hitting the ground, felt small hands scrambling over his neck to find his pulse. He could hear her beautiful voice calling his name, over and over. Even in his darkest despair over having failed her, she still loved him, still risked her own life to find him, to bring him home. Her magic pulsed through him, healing his wounds, strengthening him by her own power._

 _As he opened his eyes, all her could see was her pale face with tears sliding down her cheeks freely, and she had never looked more lovely to him._

" _Rinoa," he whispered, reaching up to tangle his fingers in her dark hair._

 _On most nights, as the field of flowers burst in to view all around them, his beautiful angel would disappear with the brightening of the sky, leaving him alive and alone. But tonight, she looked down at him with a sad smile._

" _My knight," she murmured, stroking his light brown hair from his forehead. "My loyal knight. Will you be able to find it in your heart to ever forgive me?"_

" _There is never anything to forgive, Rinoa," Squall replied. His strength was returning to him but he had no desire to leave the warm cradle of her arms. "I love you. My life is yours to do with as you please."_

 _The tears that had slowly dried upon realizing that he was alive began to flow again. "Then don't let her win, Squall. No matter what the cost, don't let her claim this world as her own." Her body trembled beneath him. "I've been holding on as long as I could but I would rather die than let her win. I'd go in peace knowing that Rasha was gone."_

 _Squall stiffened at the name of the Red Witch. Never before had he dreamed of anything to do with Rasha. Never had they spoken her name. "Are we still dreaming?" he asked hesitantly. His hand touched her cheek. "Are you real?"_

" _The bond of a sorceress and her knight can span any barrier if the need is great enough," Rinoa whispered, stroking her index finger down his scar. "I had to warn you, my knight… she's going to convert Seifer. On the first day of the new moon, Seifer will die, and Hyne will be reborn. If he is reborn, then I will die for good."_

" _What? No, I don't understand…" Squall shook his head, trying to push himself closer to Rinoa. "I won't let anything happen to you, I swear it."_

" _Goodbye, my love…" Rinoa whispered. "Stop Hyne's resurrection…"_

 _Even as he tried to hold on to her, Squall felt Rinoa disappearing under him. "No, Rinoa… Rinoa, stay with me, please." Her grasped desperately, recalling her voice, her face, the smell of her smooth skin. "Don't go.."_

" _...I love you."_

Squall fought against all of his muscles and instinct to open his eyes, wanting to savor the dream for as long as he could, remembering what it felt like to hold Rinoa in his arms. But the dream… he knew the reaches of a sorceress to her knight and so instinctively he knew that it couldn't have just been a dream. It was Rinoa's last attempt to contact him in a way that Rasha would hopefully not be able to detect. He was Rinoa's knight, not Rasha's, so it granted him a small modicum of protection.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, he reached over to turn on a light before remembering that wasn't possible. He took in a deep breath, trying to recall every detail of the dream before getting out of bed. He silently padded across the room, picking up a discarded t-shirt to pull over his head on his way to the hallway. As a SeeD, he was trained to move in stealth and darkness, so he was able to proceed forward without the need a light.

Two doors down, he stopped and knocked, waited two breaths and then knocked again. When the door swung open, he immediately walked in, checking to ensure there was no one watching before closing it behind him.

Quistis waited for him from her bed. The moonlight spilled in from her windows, leaving her in a halo of white light as it bounced off the rope of golden braid that hung over one shoulder. She looked fully awake, her arms wrapped loosely around her knees.

"Rasha is going to awaken Hyne," Squall said with no preamble. "Rinoa told me."

"I know." Quistis smiled faintly. "I was also visited by your girlfriend, right in the middle of a massage from a Dolletian man on the beach."

She stared down at the pearly white sheets, fiddling with her fingers. "I've been thinking about it and I should go alone. We've lost too many friends already and who knows what's going to happen next. Zell is crippled for life. How could I live with myself if something happened to anyone else?"

"We go with you because we are all fighting for the same thing, Quistis," Squall replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "For our freedom in this messed up world. Zell fought for it, and paid the price. It's a price that any of us may have to face but we want to. Because the alternative isn't imaginable."

Pain flared through Quistis' heart. "Are you truly sure that any of you would pay the price to prevent Hyne's rebirth?" she asked softly. "Even Seifer?"

Squall paused, understanding where the question was coming from. "The Seifer I know is a brash, arrogant asshole. But he's also someone who knows what reality would be like if Rasha and Hyne succeed. So yes, I'd say without a doubt that he'd pay any price to stop Rasha from winning."

Quistis nodded slowly. She had come to the same realization as she lay in the darkness, wondering what it was going to cost her to succeed. "Then if you plan to come with me, you have one task, Squall. If I fail to stop Rasha, then it's up to you to ensure Seifer doesn't become Hyne. Even if you need to kill him in order to do it."

One week before the New Moon, Quistis and her team stood on the bridge of Balamb Garden as they slowly made their way back toward the Galbadian Dig Site. This was where they would need to make their stand. In Hyne's tomb, where all of the trouble had started.

"Xu, you'll be responsible for clearing everyone off of the Dig Site," Quistis ordered as she examined the maps they had of the area. "The Gardens can't handle the terrain very well and we don't have the Ragnarok or any other faster means of transportation anymore so you'll need to start immediately and pray that we have enough time."

"There's bound to be some push back from the other Gardens, especially Galbadia," Xu replied with a frown. "You may be their Commander but you are and always will be a Balamb SeeD," she added, gesturing to the fact that Quistis had once again taken to wearing a Balamb SeeD uniform.

"Galbadia is too far out to interfere with the evacuation," Quistis said dismissively. "We just want to clear the area of as many non-combatants as we can. Our goal here is to save lives, not line them up as a feast for Rasha." She paused, looking around the room at her friends. "We'll need to assume that Narshe will be present and we'll need to go through him to reach Rasha and Seifer. But once we're in, Squall, you will need to be careful. You still carry the Red power and we don't know how much control Rasha will be able to extend over you, especially since you were Rinoa's knight and she's inhabiting Rinoa's body."

Squall shrugged. "My main goal is Seifer. Distract him, get him away from Rasha and delay. I'm assuming that Rasha will be too intent on you to worry about me."

"Selphie, you'll be our medic on this mission so be sure you're stocked on as much healing magic as you can carry. This is going to be a rough one and without a dedicated healer, we may all be dead," Quistis continued, looking her friend in the eyes. "This is all about defense and stalling. Keep Rasha from completing the ceremony to call back Hyne's spirit to the body."

"And I'll be with you," Irvine said quietly, almost amused at how Quistis had been avoiding his gaze. He knew that she felt guilty having to force him to choose between Selphie and herself but he gave her his best smile. Having Selphie act as medic was still dangerous but a whole lot less so than throwing herself in to the fight wholeheartedly. A medic's first job was to keep herself alive so she could keep her charges alive.

"You and I will be going after Rasha," Quistis confirmed. "We need to ensure that she doesn't have a moment of peace. You need to stay in a safe position, Irvine, so if I need you, you'll be there."

Quistis took a deep breath, flexing her fingers as she looked at each of the beloved faces in front of her. "Thank you for standing with me in this fight," she said gently. "Without you, I know that I wouldn't stand a chance. Without you, our world would have already fallen to an eternal darkness with no light in sight." She smiled sadly, afraid that she was leading all of them to their death. "Get geared up. We land in two hours. We'll meet in the Parking Deck in ninety minutes. Dismissed."

"Be careful, Quistis," Xu said quietly from the glass window that looked out over the ocean. "Remember that this is not the final battle. This is just another trial for you to face on your way to what was fated to be."

 _Upon the verdant fields, with cloudless sky, these two sisters will meet,_

 _One of hope, one of loss, both will fight knowing the price of defeat._

The almost forgotten Prophecy's words hung between them. It would not be the ruined, desolate remains of Centra where Quistis would finally come head to head with Rasha, but in a green field where their magic would clash once and for all.

"Will I be one of hope, or one of loss?" Quistis quipped in reply. "I've lost friends, people I cared for, because of this witch. Will I be chasing her after losing the rest of the people I love just to put an end to her? Will it be revenge instead of the promise of a brighter future that makes me kill her?"

Xu shook her head, turning around with her light caramel eyes bright with wisdom. "You will walk on to that field as you wish to be, Quistis," she replied. "If you let yourself be drowned in the grief of what you aren't able to control then you'll be lost. You command your own destiny."

Quistis snorted as she walked toward the lift down. "You quote Prophecies to me and still I have have a say in my own destiny…" she muttered, raking back her limp blond hair. "Maybe we'll be able to sit down and debate philosophy again soon, Xu," she mused as she descended.

From her position by the window, Xu just smiled. "I hope so, my friend. I truly do."

* * *

"I thought I'd find you down here," Quistis intoned softly as she looked down on Zell in the deserted Quad. He was carefully hobbling around on crutches in the small patches of grass that had been planted to provide some greenery to the otherwise stark Garden. In the days since their return to Garden, they had all seen an improvement in his physical health but he was slowly wilting away while watching Selphie and Irvine reunite and reignite their relationship.

Zell slowly looked up, offering a half-hearted smile in his friend's direction as he limped his way toward a nearby bench. "Might as well hang out here, where I'm out of everyone's way." The bitterness in his voice was evident as it clouded over his dark eyes. He stared at a point just over Quistis' left shoulder. "Are you guys heading out soon?"

"In a few hours," Quistis said, taking a seat next to Zell. She felt a shiver go down her spine from the chill on the bench. The speed of Garden kept a brisk, cold wind blowing through the open Quad, making it an undesirable destination while traveling. "I have… a favor to ask of you while we're gone."

"A favor?"

"Squall and I have talked it over and we want you to take command of Garden while we're gone. Xu is going to be busy with the evacuation and we need someone we can trust here in case we need to mobilize," Quistis explained.

"I don't need a pity job, Quistis," Zell retorted shortly. "Put someone in command who can actually do the job if something happens. Not a cripple who can barely walk."

"It's not a pity job, you hopeless dolt," Quistis huffed angrily. "We're putting you in control of thousands of lives. You think we'd do that out of pity? We're doing it because we need someone we can trust to be ready to take command." Her eyes rolled. "Zell, I know you've had it rough lately but you need to pull yourself together. I need you to get out of this funk and put your duty first."

Zell's eyes dropped down to stare at the ground. "I… I just want my life back, Quis. I know that Selphie and Irvine probably belong together so I'm trying to be happy for them but I've had a really good life the last five years. Me and Selphie were going really strong and I was doing what I wanted to in life. I got to fight, I got to help people. SeeD has been my life since I was a kid. What am I supposed to do now? I'm not smart like you or Xu so it's not like I could take over a more administrative role, even if I wasn't sure it would bore me to the death. So what do I have left in my life?"

"You're one of the best martial artists in the world, Zell," Quistis replied. "I know you can't go back to your old life but the knowledge isn't gone. You can still find a way to utilize it to find a place for yourself in the world. Adapt your craft. Keep teaching. Actually try to make use of another skill besides punching people in the face."

Reaching out, Quistis took Zell's hand. "Don't let this break you, Zell," she said gently. "Just let this be another stepping stone for what's still to come." She smiled faintly. "I have another favor to ask of you, while I'm gone."

Zell lifted his golden brows. "Don't you think you're asking a lot of me already?" he asked, but there was a teasing edge to his voice.

"Maybe so, but I know you can handle it," Quistis said, punching his shoulder lightly. Her voice grew more somber. "Look after Quara for me. Doctor Kadowaki said that with her Cura infusions, her insides are healing and she should make a full recovery but she's still pretty weak and I worry about her relapsing. She's… she's the only blood relation I have left and…"

Zell squeezed Quistis' hand. Having been around all of his friends for so long as the only one with an actual family, he knew what she meant. "I'll make sure she's okay, Quis," he promised. "Nothing'll happen to her as long as I'm alive. You have my word on that one."

The two lifelong friends sat in silence together, hands linked as they marveled over the last ten years of their lives. From unruly cadets to formidable SeeDs, to saviors of the world. Somehow, they found themselves in yet another perilous crisis with only each other to rely on. Five children who all grew up together at an orphanage, once separated and then reunited. That was their story, again and again.

As the landmass in the distance began to grow larger and larger, Quistis finally stood up. "I'm counting on you, Zell," she said. "Stay safe, and protect our home," she whispered as she hugged him goodbye. Unable to fathom the thought of losing another member of her little family to this, she gave Zell one last hug before departing as quickly as she could toward the Parking Deck.

She walked the circular hallway of Balamb Garden with quiet, determined steps. This was her home, more than any other place she had been. From her foster parents who didn't know how to be parents, to the opulent Galbadia Garden and the soulless glitz and glamour. These scarred and faded halls gave her strength as she remembered her childhood here, taking lessons, making friends and all too many mistakes. With each step she remembered better times. Laughing in between classes, scolding Squall and Seifer for fighting with each other. She'd become the person she was today in this place.

As she made her way into the Parking Garage, she paused as she watched her friends gathering. Squall was checking over his gunblade. His face was pale, a slight sheen gleaming off of his white skin. From the distance, Quistis couldn't tell if it was the weakness from his illness that he felt or the pressure from his bond with a Red Sorceress that ailed him. Selphie was technically nowhere to be seen, but watching as Irvine hovered by one of the off-road vehicles, she could guess where the small brunette was.

"Are we all ready?" Quistis asked quietly, stepping through the doorway.

Selphie's head poked out from under the car. "I'm just making sure that the tech we stripped to make this hunk of junk work is installed properly," she said cheerfully. "Should only take another minute or two to do all of the final checks."

Quistis smiled, nodding to Selphie in understanding. "Let's get our gear stowed, Irvine," she suggested gently, gesturing for the cowboy to make his way inside the hulking vehicle.

Irvine hesitated only for a moment before he climbed inside, moving to the corner to give Quistis space. He knew what was coming, and he hated it.

"How are you doing?" Quistis asked quietly. "Are you here? Are you focused?"

"I know that I've failed you at every turn, Quistis," Irvine said remorsefully. "Every time you've turned to me in need, I haven't been there. But I swear, I will be here for you this time. I won't let you down."

"I know that you'd do almost anything to help me," Quistis replied with a gentle smile. "But when we go in, what I need from you is to stay with Selphie."

Irvine stirred in surprise. "But all of our plans… you said you needed me with you," he protested. "I swore I'd protect you, Quistis. I'm your knight."

"You bonded yourself to me, but…" Quistis hesitated. "We performed an ancient ceremony and tied ourselves to each other but most sorceresses don't need formality to create that relationship. They share everything with each other and become intertwined because that is what's natural. You and I can't do that because you've already bound yourself to another person."

Slowly, Quistis reached out and took Irvine's hand in her own. "The reason it's never felt right is because we couldn't force something so unnaturally. So tonight, if I want to give my friends a chance to survive, we need to do what's natural. And that's for you to be by Selphie's side, not mine."

"But what about you?" Irvine asked. "You still need someone to watch your back. You can't go in there alone."

Quistis just smiled. "I don't think I'll actually be alone."

"Seifer?" Irvine shook his head. "Quistis, just because he spared you in Esthar doesn't mean that you can trust him. He's Rasha's knight."

Quistis lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. "Only time will tell the true extent of the Red power, but I have faith that we have the chance to overcome it and find a way to bring our world back from the edge of destruction. Again." She smiled. "And perhaps this time we'll be able to destroy the evil for good."

* * *

"Do you feel her coming, my knight?" Rasha purred as she stroked her fingers through Seifer's golden hair. He sat kneeling next to the throne she had constructed for herself. "Are you prepared to break her heart one final time and lay its shattered remains before my feet?" Her eyes gleamed a bright topaz in the moonlight. "Once you have, you will be presented the greatest reward of them all. Your shell shall house the mighty soul of Hyne. No other shall be more powerful than you, my love."

Seifer crouched silently, feeling her sharp nails stroke his scalp, digging in to his skin as she rambled on about the mightiness of Hyne. His fingers flexed against the hilt of Hyperion and he waited. He could feel Quistis drawing closer, the warmth of her presence a gentle flame against his skin. She had landed on the edge of the continent and was slowly making her way toward the Tomb. Closer and closer she came, her gentle voice calling to him through the darkness.

 _Hold on…_ the voice whispered. _I'm coming to free you from your chains._

Seifer couldn't tell if it was his own desperate imagination that created the voice deep in his mind, or if Rasha was continuing to toy with his sanity by giving him false hope. Or perhaps, a small part hoped that it was real. That Quistis had managed to find a way to reach out to him when he had no hope left, to give him one last thing to cling to.

He could still remember her softly whispering his name, even as he tried to choke her, and confess the words that they both had been holding back for so long.

 _I love you…_

Seifer smiled ever so slightly. He had done nothing to ever earn her love, and yet she had freely given it to him. Everything in him wanted to hold tightly to her confession, and keep it safe from the foul taint of Rasha.

"She's here," Rasha hissed. Her hands twitched with anxious delight as Narshe lifted his large white head from behind her throne. "Stay here, my pet, you are needed for far more important things than crushing my sister's puny form."

There was a rumble from outside the stone doors that guarded them. They could hear a slash of metal against the edges, followed by magic raining down and the blast of a gunshot. But these weapons made by man could do nothing against the strength of ancient magic. Only one thing would open those doors.

Both Rasha and Seifer waited in silence, knowing that she stood just on the other side.

* * *

"Stand aside," Quistis quietly ordered. She'd let them smack their heads against the door, but she knew what it would take. Reaching down, she grasped the thin blade that she had stowed away in her boot. Without a moment's hesitation, she sliced open her palm, reaching her wounded hand out to the door in offering.

The blood welled up, trickling down her fingers.

 _I am the descendent of Juna, come to lay the soul of Hyne back to rest._

 _I am the descendent of Juna, come to put down the power of the Red at long last._

 _I am the descendent of Juna, Hyne's true heir and Queen of Heaven._


End file.
